Full text of "The gunboat boys, or, Harry and Artie among the guerillas"

Issued Weekly by the Dike Book Company. 37 Vandewater Street. Subscription Price, $2.50 per year. 
Entered at the New York Post Office as second-class matter, April, 1898. 

Vol. III. — No. 18~ Sew York, August 1, 1896. Priee 5 Cents? 

THE GUNBOAT BOYS; 

OR, 

HARRY AND ARTIE AMONG THE GUERRILLAS. 



By ARTHUR A. RANKIN. 




ARTIE SPRUNG UPON THE PROSTRATE GUERRILLA THE INSTANT HE REACHED 

THE GROUND. 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



HARRY AND ARTIE; 

—OR. — 
AMONG TTIIE GUEKILL.A8. 



BT A. RANKIN. 



CHxVPTER I. 
STIRRING TIMES. 

The sun was just setting beyond the 
village one evening early in the year 1861, 
when a heavily-built, portly youth 
emerged from the little railroad station 
and walked rapidly up the street. A 
minute or two after he left the station a 
man came hastily out of it, and pinned a 
bit of paper on the wall, seemingly to 
attract the attention of the passers-by. 

Our portly youth did not stop to learn 
the contents of the paper — he well knew 
it, but continued his gait, occasionally 
breaking into a run, as if stimulated by 
the utmost excitement. 

At length, when he reached a turn in 
the street, he increased his pace to the 
top of. his speed, directing his steps to- 
ward a modest little house set back some 
little distance from the road. 

He sprung over the low fence with an 
ease ana grace that showed his weight 
was well supported by good solid muscle. 

A minute later he entered the door of 
the house without ceremony. 

The room he entered had a single oc- 
cupant, a youth about his own age, who 
was lying on a sofa. 

" Hullo, Artie!" he cried, raising him- 
self on one arm; "your face is full of 
news. What's going on in the sleepy old 
town? Nothing wrong down home 
again, is there?" he added anxiously, 
noticing that Artie paid no attention to 
his rapid questions. 

••Oli, nb," replied Artie; "but I'll tell 
yoa what," he continued, springing up 
and coming close to the sofa, " they have 
gone and done it." 

"Who? What?" demanded the other, 
astonished and fully aroused at the ex- 
cited and abrupt manner of his com- 
panion. 

At this moment the sound of a bass 
drum, beaten violently and without re- 
gard to time, reached their ears. The 
same sound reached them an instant 
later from a number of smaller drums. 

Artie went to the window and stood 
looking out entranced, much to the dis- 
gust of his friend, who had yet been 
unable to learn the ea ise <>( the racket. 

" Harry, I'll be back again this even- 
ing." said Artie, springing to the door. 

"Come back here!" shouted Harry, 



just as the door was closing. " What -1o 
you 2uean going oif that way, and )uol 
telling me what all this fuss is aboutv 
Come," he said, impatiently, as Artie sat 
down again, "let me have it right away. * 

"Well.it seems to me you ought td 
guess," returned the other; "but if you 
can't, here it is: I was in th<? railroad 
station, a few minutes ago, and a mes. 
sage came'fever the telegraph that th$ 
rebels had tired on Fort Sumter, and 
that the Union garrison had surren- 
de red . " 

Harry listened incredulously to this, 
and when he received the import of it he 
lay back on the sofa, and looked at his 
friend without speaking. 

"I s'pose the message is all over town 
by this time, and that's what the noise 
means,'' added Artie. 

"Just what I've been wishing for,' 1 
cried Harry, rubbing his hands in de 
light, and not noticing Artie's last re- 
mark. " Ever since last fall," he went 
on, "I have wanted a chance to thrash 
those high handed fellows down there, 
and now we'll have it, sure. But," he 
continued, "did you say they surren- 
dered?" 

He had grown quite grave now. 

" Yes," answered Artie; "so the mes- 
sage said; but how's your foot?" 

"Oh, pretty nearly well. I'll be out in 
a few days, as well as ever," he answered, 
carelessly. 

Harry was thinking of the news — such 
stunning news — that thrilled every per- 
son of the whole vast North. 

Harry, ccol and far-seeing beyond his 
years, felt that the struggle coming was 
to be a terrible one, and he already be- 
gan to repent of his expressed satisfac- 
tion that war had really come. He plied 
Artie with questions, but as yet the news 
was meager, only the single brief mes- 
sage, conveying the unwelcome tidings 
that the United States had engaged in a 
war, and had already been defeated. 

Every one knows how that defeat sat 
upon the feelings of .the proud North. 

Every fiber of her vast territory tingled 
with shame and anger, and above all 
with a desire that the South should be 
repaid in terrible principal and interest. 

After a little more talk Artie started 
out to see what action was to be taken in 
the village, while Harry settled himself 
comfortably on his sofa, to tl:i;K he 
matter all over again. 

While the two friends &„u i-opwrated, 
we will take the opportuo" of making 
the readers a little better acquainted 
with them. 

Harry Phillips lived with his motnerin 

the neat little house in which tne pre- 

1 ceding dialogue took place. His father 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



c5;ed about four years before, leaving his 
wife and son fairly provided for. Harry 
had been preparing for college, and ex- 
pected to enter in the fall of the year of 
the opening of our story. 

He and Arthur Linden were steadfast 
friends, though differing from each other 
in almost every respect. While Arthur 
was not, st/ictly speaking, portly, he in- 
clined that way; on the other hand 
Harry was slender, though constant 
healthy exerci.-e had made both as tough 
and wiry as gymnasts. Both were the 
same height — vise feet eleven inches — 
both excelled in out-door pursuits, and 
Harry in school. 

Arthur did not like school, and avoided 
as many lessons as possible. Though not 
a dull boy by any moans, he was quite 
content to shamble along with any kind 
of an average, declaring that he did not 
have much brain, and t^at it wouldn't 
stretch. 

Harry, who wielded a.i immense in- 
fluence over him, always fe t himself at a 
loss here. When he coaxed 0>r threatened 
Archur 'would merely laugh at him, and 
say: ''You must hold up the intellectual 
end of the partnership. 1 ' F<>\- these two 
were, so to speak, partners, i..nd shared 
everything alike. 

Arthur s heme life was far f:,om pleas- 
ant. His parents both died when he was 
small, and he was sent to live with his 
father's step-brother, who was appointed 
guardian. 

This man was sordid and avavicious to 
the last degree. 

His first wife loved the little boy, but 
when he was ten years she too died, and 
his guardian married a woman as mean 
and unscrupulous as himself. 

What the children of the amiable pair 
were can be imagined; they continually 
were endeavoring to get Arthur into 
trouble, and they were the cause of fierce 
quarrels between him and his half- 
uncle. 

He had long wished to leave so un- 
pleasant a home, but his love for his 
friend, and other considerations, had 
induced him to stay there as a necessary 
evil. 

About three weeks previous to the 
opening of this story, the two went squir- 
rel hunting, and while crossing a gully 
Harry's feet slipped from the wet anil 
slippery log, which served as a bridge, 
and he fell into the rocky bed of a dry 
creek, about fifteen feet below. He tried 
to get up, but found he was unable to 
stand upon his left foot. Arthur coming 
up at the moment pronounced the hurt 
a sprain, and lifting him up carried him 
the distance of a mile, to the nearest 
house. 



CHAPTER II. 

OFF FOR THE WAR. 

A week has passed. The whole country 
is in a fever of excitement and energy. 
The President has called for 75,000 troops 
to put down the rebellion. Cities, towns 
and villages, Hammet among the rest, 
are making preparations to send volun- 
teers to the scene of action. 

Harry Phillips' foot is so much better 
that now he sits on the porch listeningto 
his friend's excited remarks, as he lets 
fall intelligence received during the day. 
The two friends had fully decided that 
they would "go to war," and just at 
that time nobody could have persuaded 
them that their country could do with- 
out them in the pressing emergency. 

Not a word had been said as yet re- 
questing permission to go, but as soon as 
Harry's foot was entirely well po time 
was to be lost in making that move. 

"Say, Artie, all this talk has been about 
my permission," said Harry suddenly. 
"Ho you suppose it will be all right with 
you ?" 

A shade of bitterness crossed Arthur's 
face wdien he laughed, saying, "Oh, that 
will be all right. I'll just tell them I'm 
going. They'll be glad to be rid of me." 

" Oh, I guess it isn't so bad as that," re- 
plied Harry, soothingly. 

" Isn't it!" rejoined Arthur, warmly. 
"Why, they grudge the very food I eat as 
if it was so much money thrown away." 

"Well, you will be soon out of their 
clutches whether they like it or not." 

" I hope so," replied Arthur, grimly. 

"I tell you what, Artie," said Harry, 
"come around to-night and I'll ask 
mother. I can't wait any longer, and 
when you go home suppose you ask your 
guard and see what he says."" 

About half-past seven Arthur opened 
the door of the Phillips house and 
walked into the same room in which we 
saw him on another occasion. Mrs. Phil- 
lips and her son were already there. 

Mrs. Phillips, who was a tall, fine look- 
ing woman, greeted Arthur pleasantly 
and said, "You and Harry must have 
some scheme in your heads. He has 
been expecting you for half an hour." 

"I don't know whether you will call it 
a scheme or not, Mrs. Phillips, though 
whatever you call it I think you will 
hardly like it." 

Mrs. Phillips turned her eyes on Ar- 
thur with a look of inquiry, when Harrv 
broke in with, " Now, see'here, Artie, if 
you are going to talk that way you had 
better keep quiet. I can do better than 
that myself." 

"We'll, go ahead," replied Arthur, good- 
humoredly. 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



"Well, mother, it is this. We want to 
join the army right away." 

Mrs. Phillips gave a slight start, and 
elevated her brews a little, but other- 
wise seemed unaffected. 8hesimplysaid: 
" You are foolish, Harry; you don't know 
what, yon ask/' 

" What are your objections?'' he asked. 

" I didn't Bay 1 had any objections," 
she replied. 

This was the beginning of a long argu- 
ment which lasted for several hours 
without coining to any definite result. 



Two weeks later our heroes stepped 
aboard a small Ohio steamer en route to 
Cairo, which was a great mustering- 
ground during the late war. 

They had no definite plans — they did 
not know whether they would be as- 
signed to army or navy service. 

Mrs. Phillips had given in to her son 
only after repeated and strong argu- 
ments, while as Arthur predicted he had 
no trouble in getting the consent of his 
guardian. 

When we see our friends again it is on 
a Mississippi River gun boat, the Dragon 
Fly, some months later. During the 
time passed the first bugle-call of the 
war had been forgotten in the greater 
events which quickly followed. 

The people of the North as reverse 
after reverse struck them only became 
more determined that the rebellion 
should be subdued. 

After the first few months of fierce ex- 
citement and novelty passed by things 
settled into the groove of steady perse- 
verance on both sides, that nothing short 
of absolute submission on the one side 
and the acknowledgment of their inde- 
pendence on the other side could move. 

We must, however, go quickly to our 
story. Harry and Arthur were put 
through the exhaustive drills and exor- 
cises which every one on a war vessel 
must go through. 

Under the eyes of watchful superiors 
it was quickly ascertained in what our 
heroes excelled and how they could be 
made the most capable. 

Arthur's ready knowledge of fire-arms 
"was so marked that it promised for him 
the position of commander of one of the 
guns, while Harry had so completely per- 
fected himself in the knowledge of the 
different kinds of ammunition that he 
was given charge of the magazine of the 
gun-boat. 

The commander of the Dragon Fly, 
Captain Chewes, a man of shrewd ob- 
servance, had already noted particularly 
his two subalterns and told himself that 



were they spared to the service great 
things would come of them. 

Nor was he mistaken. 

At this time the Confederates held the 
Mississippi as far up as Memphis, and it 
was the purpose of the United States to, 
open up the river for several reasons un- 
necessary to mention here. 

Life was very monotonous on the 
Dragon Fly, which lay in the river un- 
able to descend the stream on acjount of 
the enemy's ships. 

One day as the boat slowly steamed 
from shore to shore, Harry came to Ar- 
thur and sat down on the deck. 

"Artie," he said, with a sigh of relief, 
" we may have a, chance to get a-w-aj 7 from 
here for a few hours." 

'"What's going on?" asked Arthur, 
eagerly. 

N 'I understand that the captain has 
received information that there is a band 
of guerillas about ten miles buck in the 
country who are up to all sets of mis- 
chief, and from the way in which he 
spoke to Mr. Flack, the first lieutenant, 
I believe he is going to make a raid on 
them." 

" Who is he going to take?" asked Ar- 
thur, with interest. 

" That's just what nobody knows," re- 
plied Harry. " He may take the first 
company or the second or he may ask for 
volunteers." 

"He won't be likely to talie all the 
force, then, you think?" 

"Certainly not — somebody has got to 
take care of the ship." 

" Who do you suppose could harm this 
gun-boat? ' asked Arthur, scornfully. 

" There's no telling. Anyway, it would 
never do to leave it with only half a 
dozen men aboard.'' 

" Is there any chance for us 4o go with 
the party?" asked Arthur, returning to 
the subject. 

"I'll tell you how we'll fix it. Incase he 
don't ask for volunteers and orders off 
a company, we'll go up and ask him if 
he can't make a place for us in the 
party." 

Just then Harry was called away and 
Arthur himself set about something that 
kept him busy till the evening mess. 

Immediately it was over the order came 
to muster out the first company. In a 
few seconds it was standing in orderly 
attitude before the captain, beside whom 
was Mr. Flack, the first lieutenant. 

Captain Chewes addressed a few words 
to them, instructing them to obey im- 
plicitly the commands of Lieutenant 
Flack. "That is all, my lads." he said 
in conclusion, "except that I expect you 
to render a good account to me when 
1 you return." 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



At this moment Harry advanced, with 
cap in hand, Arthur immediately fol- 
lowing. 

" What is it, lads?" asked the captain. 

" We would like to accompany the ex- 
pedition, sir, if you have no objection," 
replied Harry. 

" I guess there is enough in the party 
already. I dare not send too many.'' 

Harry touched his cap and stepped 
back deeply disappointed. 

The captain noticed the look, and ap- 
peared to meditate. 

"The success of the expedition may 
depend on the caution of such a steady 
young fellow as he," he said to himself; 
then aloud, "I think, after all, you two 
may go — and learn as much as you can 
about the county," he added, as he turned 
aw a} . 

Harry and Arthur thanked him, and 
set about preparing themselves. 

They were to etart as soon as it was 
fairly "dark, and carry only light weapons. 
Harry and Arthur provided themselves 
with two navy revolvers each, and waited 
impatiently for the order to start. 



CHAPTER III. 

A CAPTURE. 

It was about nine o'clock when the 
boats put off from the Dragon Fly, and 
headed for the Missouri shore. 

It was very cloudy, and so dark that 
had there been no guide it would have 
been impossible to tind the rendezvous of 
the guerillas. 

The party numbered thirty-three, in- 
cluding the first lieutenant, who com- 
manded, and Harry ar.,d Arthur. The 
guide was a recruit from Missouri, who 
was entirely familiar with the country, 
and easily recognized the house in which, 
according to the captain's information, 
the guerilla band was congregated. 

The information received by the cap- 
tain — and unfortunately he did not know- 
whet her it was trustworthy or not — said 
there were very few guerillas at the house 
at present, but that later on there would 
be more. So if the raid was to bo made, 
it should be made at once. 

As soon as a landing was effected the 
utmost silence was enjoined, in order 
that if any enemy was near their presence 
would not be noticed. 

The guide took the lead, and boldly 
plunged into the shrubbery, which grew 
thickly along the bank. 

The rest of the party followed closely 
in double file, with Harry and Arthur 
bringing up the rear. 

After moving at a. rapid walk for about 
an hour, Harry whispered: "Artie, this 
business don't look right to me." 



"Why not?" asked Arthur, in a whis- 
per. 

"Because we have no guide, but one of 
our own men. Suppose the news is all 
false, what's to prevent us being led into 
an ambush?" 

"Do you suppose Andrews, our guide, 
would lead us into an ambush?" asked 
Arthur, in an indignant whisper. 

" That's not what I mean," answered 
Harry. "It's this — the captain got in- 
formation; w here did he get it? Hedon't 
know. It might have been from these 
very guerillas. They might tell just how 
to get to their place, and say there was 
no force there; then they could run into 
the country and get up a gang, and be 
all ready for us. Don't you see?" 

"I see what you mean," said Arthur; 
"but there is no telling. The informa- 
tion might be true." 

"It might, but I doubt it," replied 
Harry r . 

They had been marching steadily for 
about two hours, and had come about 
eight miles. _ 

If accounts were true t*e guerilla's 
house was about two miles further on. 

Here the lieutenant called a halt. 

"I think, Andrews," he said to the 
guide, "you had better go ahead and see 
what things look like." 

"I think we had all better go closer," 
suggested Andrews. " You see, sir,"' he 
said, addressing Lieutenant Flack, "it 
would take me an hour to go there and 
back, and that would bring us to twelve 
o'clock; then it would take us a half hour 
to go there from here, and if anything 
would happen to keep us here after day- 
light it might be a-long time till we see 
the Mississippi again." 

As tins was unquestionably the most 
sensible view of the question, the lieuten- 
ant gave in and the march was resumed. 

After this extreme caution was used, 
and the next halt was made within view 
of the house. 

The house itself could not be seen on 
account of the intense darkness, but here 
and there lights twinkled through half- 
shut or carelessly drawn curtains. 

Andrews was about to say something, 
when all were startled by the sound of 
voices close by. 

"Down! down! in the grass for your 
lives," whispered the lieutenant excitedly. 

Luckily the grass was quite long, and 
they were fairly out of danger of dis- 
eoveiy. 

From their position all heard the fol- 
lowing conversation: 

"I tell you they're afeard to come. 
You say Cap Henry told us to be on hand. 
Well, we will be, but they'll be no Yanks, 
you bet." 



6 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



This was sa { d in a whining tone. 

"Yas, they'll come," said another 
voice, " er less they're the tarnalest ba- 
bies as ever claimed to carry shootin' 
iron." 

"Did you say as how cap writ the 
Yank eap'n a letter?" asked the whining 
voice again. 

" Tolable smart trick that; and he said 
he'd hev three hundred men in the house 
to-night, so if they did come he could 
tike em all pris'ners. Tolable smart un, 
Uap Henry is, ain't he?" 

" Well, let's go down to the house, to 
b > there if the Yankees show theirselves," 
replied the other. 

The sound of their footsteps soon died 
away on the grassy ground, and in a few 
minutes perfect silence reigned around. 

"Men," said the lieutenant, springing 
up, " we can't be of use here. It is plain 
the captain of the Dragon Fly has been 
played with by these fellows, and the 
sooner we get out of this locality the bet- 
ter it will be for us." 

This was a rather inglorious ending to 
the expedition, but no one had a right to 
complain. 

On the way back Harry observed, as 
much as was possible in the pitchy dark- 
ness, the features of tne country through 
which they were passing. It seemed that 
most of the route lay through a thinly- 
grown forest, except within a few miles 
of t lie river, where the larjd was culti- 
vated. 

The journey back was a little more 
stirring than the first. 

They had scarcely left the house two 
miles behind, when they ran almost di- 
rectly upon two men. 

Andrews, being in the lead, collared 
one, and pressed his pistol against his 
head. " A word and you are dead," was 
all that this fellow needed. 

The lieutenant had more trouble. He 
also seized his man by the collar, but be- 
lie could do any more he was 
promptly knocked down by a well-di- 
rected right-hander that struck him full 
bet ween the eyes. 

The two men behind, however, sprung 
upon the pugilistic Confederate, and 
with one at his throat and another hold- 
ing both his arms, he was quickly 
brought to terms. 

"An 1 who are you that stop honest 
men on the public highway? Ain't you 
from the shanty'.'" he demanded. 

The lieutenant was too much dazed to 
reply, so Hairy volunteered to answer 
his quesl ions: 

"We have been to the shanty," he said, 
supposing the man to mean the guerilla 
house. 

■' Waal, what d'ye mean ketchin' a fel- 



ler up this here way?" demanded the man 
again, supposing a joke was being played 
on him by his friends. 

"Oh, no," said Harry; "you are our 
prisoner, and we'll take you to our gun- 
boat." 

"Eh? You Yanks?" he ejaculated, 
greatly startled and alarmed. 

"We belong to the United State; 
Navy," replied Harry. "So you were 
one of the gang we paid a visit to to- 
night?" he added, hoping to gain some 
information about the plans of the guer- 
illas. 

"You were thar, were you?" asked the 
prisoner, who appeared to be greatly 
amazed. 

"Yes, we wei'e," said Harry, with a 
laugh. "Y T ou ought to see the place 
now." 

"I b'l'eve you're lyin'," replied the 
prisoner, incredulously. "You'd a-never 
come away agin if you had ben thar." 

"Well, we were there, as you could see 
if you were there," answered Harry. 
" That was a fine trap you thought you 
laid for us. You thought you'd get us 
there and take us all prisoners, but you 
see we were too sharp for you." 

Harry, while telling the truth alto 
gether, had led the man to believe that 
the guerilla house had been visited and 
destroyed, and that their clever plan had 
been found out. 

He now put the finishing touch on his 
work, by saying: 

"Cap Henry couldn't write a smart 
enough letter to fool us." 

The guerilla seemed to think every- 
thing known to this incomprehensible 
youth, but Harry was afraid to question 
him much, for fear of making a blunder. 

By this-time the lieutenant had so far 
recovered as to order the march to con- 
tinue. 

The two prisoners were secured be 
tween the men, and the march was again 
resumed. 

It was two o'clock in the morning when 
they reached the Dragon Fly, and all 
were quite tired out by their profitless 
vent a re. 

Harry's active mind had conceived a 
project on the march, which he was in 
haste to lay before the commander, not- 
withstanding his farigue. 



CHATTER IV. 

ON A MISSION. 

The next morning, about nine o'clock, 
Harry and Arthur were ushered into the 
captain's presence. 

" Well, lads," he said, briskly, as both 
saluted, " what now?" 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



"I suppose you know, captain, or, 
rattier, you remember we were both 
on the expedition last night ?" began 
Harry. 

"Yes." 

"And as the expedition was a failure, I 
thought it would not be wrong to lay be-' 
fore you a plan, by which I think we can 
get rid of those guerillas with very little 
loss of blood — possibly none." 

"Ha!'' exclaimed the captain, growing 
interested. "And how would you go 
about it?" 

"That's just what I came to ask per- 
mission to do — burn them out," replied 
Harry. 

" What is j'our purpose?" demanded 
the matter-of-fact captain. 

Harry then explained in what manner 
he intended to proceed. 

"How long do you expect this venture 
to occupy your time?" finally asked the 
captain. 

"Two nights and one day, at the 
longest." 

" When do you want to start?" 

"The same time to-night as we started 
last night." 

" How many men? I wouldn't like to 
trust any number in the territory just 
now." 

"Just our two selves, sir," replied 
Harry. " We are used to each other, and 
have all sorts of secret signals, which no- 
body else would understand. The fewer 
men the better on an enterprise of this 
sort." 

" You may go now," said the captain, 
abruptly. "I'll Think the matter over." 

Our heroes saluted and left the cabin. 

" I tell you what," said Arthur, when 
they reached the deck, "there is no tell- 
ing from what the captain says what he 
thinks." 

"Just wait," said Harry, confidentially; 
"he's all right." 

As the day wore on, however, the boys 
began to get anxious. Three o'clock 
came and went, with no summons from 
the captain. 

Our heroes were together, in readiness 
to wait on him the instant he gave the 
order. 

"We'll get ready to start, anyway, so 
as not xo be delayed by the old man," 
said Harry. 

The sun was just setting when Harry 
was again summoned to the cabin. 

The captain, who was busily writing, 
laid down his pen as Harry, cap in hand, 
approached the table. 

" I have questioned the prisoners you 
brought *n last night, fully," he said, 
"and wormed from them that this house 
is.a rendezvous for guerillas of a territory 
at least one hundred miles square. \i 



such is the case I think I am justified in 
ordering you to proceed as you have sug- 
gested." 

Harry bowed his thanks, and was with- 
drawing when the captain called after 
him: 

" I tried to find out from the prisoners 
if there was any other gang they knew of 
on the west side of the river. Of course 
they told me no. Make that a particular 
object of your expedition, to find out 
where another one is. Now do your best, 
take care of yourself, and remember your 
name will go to Washington in the event 
of extraordinary service." 

As Harry left the room the captain 
again called out: "I'll be on deck before 
you go." 

"Very good, sir," replied our hero. 

It took but a minute for him to find 
Arthur, and tell him that everything was 
satisfactorily arranged, and "that they 
would leave the boat, as near as he knew, 
about an hour after sunset. 

Half an hour later both stood on the 
river-bank, watching the boat that 
brought them off, rapidly disappearing 
in the gathering twilight. 

"We are in for it now," said Arthur, 
"and if I am not wrong we will wish we 
were safe on board the Dragon Fly before 
many hours." 

" We can tell more about that to-mor- 
row," was Harry's only reply. 

They now struck directly"into the in- 
terior, as they wanted an abundance of 
time for their work. 

"It will be two hours and a half before 
we get there," said Harry, as they walked 
rapidly along, " and at that time it ought 
to be nice and dark." 

They had brought with them a wad of 
cotton, soaked in coal oil, and a box of 
matches. Each had their two navy re- 
volvers. Their two days' rations were 
their only incumbrance. 

They had gone, as near as they could 
judge, about five miles, when Arthur 
caught Harry's arm. 

"1 think somebody's following us," he 
whispered, softly. 

"We'll soon find out," replied Harry. 
"When I give the word we will separate. 
You go to the right and I to the left, but 
no further away from here than is nec- 
essary for us to" get well hidden. Wait 
till you see if anybody is coming. If we 
don't get together again, you have 
matches and coal-oil. Go ahead and make 
for the house and look around for me. 
Signal if you can withot being detected. 
If you receive no answer from me set fire 
to the place and make for the Dragon 
Fly with all your might." 

" I guess there is no need of us going 
out of our way," replied Arthur, looking 



3 



.HARRY ANI> ARTIE. 



back. "The fellow, whoever he is, is 
right behind us." 

It was now so dark that they ran no risk 
of being discovered in consequence of 
their uniforms, so they walked along 
without changing their pace till the 
stranger was in a few feet of then). 

Both turned around. Just then ahead 
of light was cast into their faces, com- 
pletely dazzling them for a few seconds, 
while a voice rang out: 

'•Yanks! Dogon me!" and a revolver 
cracked and a bullet whistled past Ar- 
thur's ear. 

Arthur was the first to recover himself, 
and he sprung toward their assailant; 
but the stream of light instantly disap- 
peared as if no such thing had ever been 
there, and the rapid footsteps of the dis- 
turber were heard retreating. 

"After him!" cried Harry, who recov- 
ered his presence of mind almost at the 
same time as Harry. They rushed after 
the retreating footsteps but had not gone 
far till Harry, suddenly stopping, said, 
"listen!" 

Not a sound broke the stillness. 

" It is no use to follow the scoundrel," 
he said. "We don't know where we are 
going in the dark and he can shoot us 
down if he catches a glimpse of us with- 
out danger to himself. We must get 
out of this. Come on!" 

They quickly retraced their steps. 

"We must go forward as fast as we 
can," said Arthur. " That fellow may 
belong to the gang and will give the 
alarm if he does. We must beat him 
there.'' 

They started forward on a rapid dog 1 
trot. 

All was quiet since the late disturbance, 
and they proceeded rapidly until they 
reached the spot, about two miles from 
the house, where the party from the gun- 
boat had stopped to consult the night 
before. Here Harry, who was in the 
lead, stopped abruptly. 

" We must separate here," he said. "I 
will go on up to the house and set fire to 
it if I can. You wait here until you see 
the smoke or the flame; but if they don't 
appear inside of twenty minutes or half 
an hour you work you way up and see 
what you can do. Ciood-by." ' 

In a moment Harry had disappeared 
in the darkness. 

" 1 guess I may as well look around a 
little now that I'm left behind, and — by 
gracious! What's that?" 

Arthur ended his soliloquy rather ab- 
ruptly. 

A ball of light was shining through the 
trees probably two hundred yards back 
in the direction from which they had 
cine. 



Arthur pullet? out his revolve and 
stepped behind a tree, keeping ms eyes 
on the light, which was rapidly approach- 
ing. Suddenly it disappeared. 

" Ha!" thought Arthur to himself. 
"It's the very fellow that ran into us 
about an hour ago, a.nd he's making For 
the house to tell what he's seen. We 
beat him by a few minutes. I must stop 
him by all means." 

He shifted his position about ten feet, 
and was hardly well behind a tree again 
when the light shone forth not twenty 
feet from him, and disclosed the guerilla 
coining toward him on a loping trot. 
His course would take him close by Ar- 
thur's tree. 

Our young hero had not long to wait 
to put his plan into execution, and just 
as the man came to the tree Arthur 
threw out his leg and the guerilla was 
dashed violently to the ground, and the 
sharp crack told that one of his pistols 
had been discharged by the shock. 

The dark lantern flew from his hand, 
and after making two or three somersaults 
came to a stand-still some ten feet away, 
unharmed and still burning. 

Arthur sprung upon the prostrate 
guerilla the instant he reached the 
ground, and placing the muzzle of his 
revolver at the other's head cried: " ISfot 
a word above your breath." 

His antagonist, far from being injured 
by his fall, suddenly wheeled around, and 
in a twinkling Arthur's revolver was 
spinning through the air, knocked from 
his hand by a well-directed blow. 

The guerilla now began to struggle so 
actively that Arthur needed all his 
strength and agility to retain his posi- 
tion on top of him. 

The guerilla was tall and slim but ex- 
tremely supple and powerful, and the way 
he thrashed about made Arthur almost 
despair of bringing him to terms. 

He half rose to his knees, but Arthur 
clung to him like a burr and bore him 
down again, at the same time catching 
him by the throat.' 

The guerilla, realizing the danger of 
such a hold, made a superhuman effort, 
and putting up both his hands fairly 
wrenched the hand from his throat. By 
doing so, however, he released Arthur's 
left hand and received a stunning left- 
hander right from the shoulder, which 
laid him out, limp as a wet cloth. 

Voices near by made Arthur look up, 
just as he was completing his conquest. 

The sight appalled him. 

The whole of the sparsely grown wood 
was alive with lanterns all moving rapid- 
ly toward him. 

He sprung up to extinguish the tell- 
tale lantern, but before he couiu accoiv 



HAftrii T AND ARTIE. 



plish it the guerilla, who was only par- j 

tiuily stunned, raised himself on his el 
bow and made the woods re-echo with 
his vigorous yells. 

Arthur gave one look for an avenue of 
escape and then bounded on, snatching 
up the lantern and shutting off the light 
its he went. 

He had not gone one hundred feet 
when he saw approaching three "lan- 
terns. 

Turning to the left he ran on some 
distance further, when on reaching the 
edge of a little brook he ran violently 
against a guerilla who had been peering 
into the bushes on the other side. 

Arthur's forehead struck the back of 
the guerilla's, head and both fell into the 
brook, the guerilla at full length and 
Arthur up to his knees. 

He quickly waded out and glanced ap- 
prehensively around, lor the ducked Con- 
federate had given an unearthly yell. 
either from fright or as a warning, as he 
went in. 

Lights were still seen here and there 
through the trees, though at greater dis- 
tances than before, and he was in great 
danger of being captured if he remained 
longer in that locality. 

However, he had completely lost his 
reckoning, as he had dodged and darted 
about in so many different directions in 
his flight that he could not tell one point 
of the compass from another. He was in 
great perplexity, as he did.not know what 
to do. 

Arthur was walking rapidly while 
thinking, and his surprise was great, 
on suddenly emerging from the trees, 
to find himself before the big, gloomy 
house that answered for the rendezvous 
of the Confederate gang. 

They had chosen with rare judgment 
this mansion as their headquarters. A 
good distance from the river and well out 
of reach of the batteries of the vessels, 
in a thinly-settled country, and the 
forest, so thin and sparse in its entire ex- 
tent, was so much more grown immedi- 
ately around the house that a person 
passing within one hundred yards of it 
would not have been aware of its exist- 
ence — all these conditions combined to 
make the place safe and secure for the 
purpose for which it was then used. 

As Arthur stood gazing at the house 
his reflections were suddenly interrupted 
by the returning party of guerillas. 

They were advancing in such a manner 
that made his detection sure unless he 
went straight forward. He quickly 
crossed the yard, and came close to the 
foundation of the house. 

He learned then what he did not know 
before, that, the first floor was raised 



some eiyht feet above the ground, and 
that there was a wide stone archway 
leading to the basement and cellar, which 
was secured by two light iron doors. 

Hastily stepping up to the door of the 
cellar he laid hold of the iron handle, and 
to his great joy 't yielded, disclosing a 
gentle declivity, which he at once de- 
scended, closing the door after him. He 
proceeded slowly and carefully, for the 
place was opaquely dark. Suddenly he 
stopped, and his heart almost leaped 
into his mouth — somebody else was in 
the cellar. 



CHAPTER V. 

ARTHUR CAUGHT. 

"When Harry left Arthur he walked 
rapidly, but silently, toward the house, 
keeping a bright lookout for prowling 
guerillas. 

He had proceeded but a little way 
when he was startled by the report of a 
pistol. 

"That sounds as if it might come from 
Arthur," he thought, in alarm. "He 
couldn't have gotten into trouble any 
sooner if he had tried." 

His attention was now drawn to his 
immediate front. 

Shouts were heard, and lights came 
rapidly toward him, as if the inmates of 
the house were alarmed by the shot and 
were approaching to investigate. 

There seemed to be about twenty Ian- , 
terns, but when they came nearer he 
noticed that many of the men had none 
at all. 

He made a detour to avoid running 
into the party, and watched them go by 
at a safe distance. 

" I wish I knew whether Artie fired 
that shot," he muttered to himself, im- 
patiently; "if he did, he didn't do it for 
nothing, and he knows how to. take care 
of himself." 

The last of the guerillas just here 
passed by, and Harry was struck with his 
appearance. 

He was a short, stout man, with a 
heavy beard, the imperfect light shed by 
the lantern he held did not give Harry 
the opportunity to note its color. 

This worthy was attired in a dingy and 
faded uniform of a. captain of the Con- 
federacy, and Harry at once put him 
down for Captain Henry, about whose 
courage and active partisanship he had 
heard so much. 

"It would give me a promotion," he 
thought, "if I could take that fellow, 
aboard the Dragon Fly a prisoner of 
war." 

As the Con federate captain disappeared 



10 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



Harry turned his attention to the object 
of his expedition. 

"It is just the time to do my work/' he 
thought, '" while so many of the gang are 
away." 

He hurried forward, and arriving at 
the edge of the woods he stopped to re- 
eonnoiter. 

The house stood silent and gloomy, 
while here and there a light appeared 
through the half-closed shutters of the 
first floor; the upper story was closed 
tight. 

As Harry was about to step forward 
his eye alighted on two men standing be- 
fore a large iron door, flanked on either 
side by a stone wall, slanting from the 
top of the foundations to the ground, the 
incline reaching the ground at a point 
about twelve feet from the foundation. 

The iron door was open, and Harry, 
who was standing directly before it about 
fifty feet away, saw a lighted lantern 
swinging from the ceiling inside. 

The men were conversing in low tones, 
and to Harry, who could not hear what 
was said, it was plain that he would have 
to approach the house from another 
quarter. 

He drew back among the trees, and 
made a circuit of the house without find- 
ing a place to suit his purpose, and when 
again he came in front of the iron door 
the two men had disappeared. 

Quickly approaching he slipped behind 
one of the stone flanks of the doorway, 
and leaning over peered into the cellar. 

The light which hung from the ceiling 
had also disappeared, and everything 
appeared to be wrapped in repose. 

He was deliberating on his next move 
when lie was startled by the sound of 
voices behind him. 

Turning hastily he saw two men just 
step around the corner of the house, and 
approach the cellar door. 

Both were talking earnestly, and they 
seemed highly excited about something, 
consequently they did not see our hero 
step quickly over the wall and go. into 
the cellar. 

"Whew! 11 said Harry to himself, "it's 
lucky for me this cellar was here."' 

Taking his stand close to the iron doors 
he awaited developments. 

The men came to the cellarway, and 
seemed disposed at first to go in, but 
changed their minds and remained out- 
side, where the following conversation 
took place: 

" I tell you, Pete, I don't b'lieve it, no- 
how.* 1 

"I do," answered Pete. "Jake ain't 
no liar." 

"But vvhar's the other feller, then? 
Jake said they was two on 'em. He 



wasn't like to tote off afore the boys went 
out, an' they only seed one." 

"Hovv'd you know that?" asked the 
other. 

""Cause Hen Bullit jes came in fer 
more lanterns and tole it all. He was 
afeard o' gettin' his head broke, as sure 
as my name's Jack Cobb," continued the 
man, "but I give him as many as he could 
kerry, and he went off." 

"An' Hen said the young Yank wal- 
loped Jake?" asked Pete, with interest, 

" Yaas, an 1 the big dunder-head ain't 
done seeing stars yet." 

As may be imagined, Harry listened to 
this conversation with the greatest in- 
terest, and it partly explained the cause 
of the pistol-shot, which had alarmed 
him earlier in the evening, but he still 
was in ignorance of what he wished par- 
ticularly to know — whether Arthur was 
still at large. 

The conversation without was here re- 
newed, and Harry again bent himself to 
listen. 

"What do you .s'pose one Yank was 
doin' in tJiese yere woods?" asked Pete. 

" We'll find that out when we ketch 
him," answered Jack. 

Just then a voice was heard calling: 
"Jack! Jack! Jack!" 

" Gilbert's callin' you," observed Pete. 

"I'd ha' bin thar long 'go," grumbled 
Jack, " if the horses hadn't a' bin out," 
and stepping into the cellarway he 
pushed the doors shut. 

Harry drew a long breath as he beard 
their footsteps dying away, and then 
moving from the door he began to make 
his way through the interior of the cellar. 

He feared to strike a match, not know- 
ing how many guerillas might be dis- 
closed by its light. 

He knew that as long as the night lasted 
he might pass as one of the band, should 
he unexpectedly meet any of them. 

" Well, 1 must have a little light to see 
what I am about, so — what's that?" 

He stopped suddenly, as the cellar- 
doors opened, and a form appeared an 
instant in bold relief against the sky, and 
stepped inside, while the doors swung 
gently to again. 

For a minute Harry stood spell-bound. 
He certainly knew that form, and was 
sure he had made no mistake on account 
of the imperfect light that came through 
the open doorway. 

" That certainly was Arthu-," he said 
to himself, as soon as he recovered" from 
his surprise; "but how did he get here I 
would like to know?" 

He deliberated a moment as to how he 
could satisfy himself of the truth, for no* 
the slightest sound came from the iu 
t ruder. 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



]1 



He started to approach the quarter 

where lie thought Arthur stood, when 

his foot struck something lying loose on 

'the floor, which made a harsh, grating 

noise. 

He stopped in alarm, thinking of the 
consequences of his act if the intruder 
were not his friend. 

He wa# not given time for much 
thought, however, for the doors opened 
Iftgaiu, and another figure entered. 

He walked about a. few minutes, in a 
maniior which led Harry to think he knew 
the place thoroughly. 

To his great chagrin Harry heard him 
pick up a lantern, and prepare to light it. 
This was sure to lead to discovery, and 
Harry was by no means ready for this. 

So drawing his revolver he prepared to 
control matters, if possible. 

A pale blue speck, which gradually in- 
creased to a. bright flame, disclosed to 
Harry's eyes the guerilla Kneeling before 
a lantern, and in the act of applying the 
flame to the wick. 

So full of the purpose of silencing him 
Harry had forgotten the presence of the 
first comer, and revolver in hand he 
stood within a few feet of the last in- 
truder. 

When the latter arose to his feet he 
felt the cold muzzle of a revolver against 
his temple, and a voice said in his ear: 
"Silence or you die.'' 1 

" That's what I say," chimed in another 
voice, and Arthur stepped up, brandish- 
ing a revolver, and repeated the words. 

"Give me that lantern. "ordered Harry, 
who had no time for greetings. "Unarm 
him, Artie: 1 ' 

While Harry held the lantern Arthur 
went quickly through the man's pockets, 
and brought to light a revolver and a 
clasp-knife. 

"That replaces mine that I lost to- 
night," said Arthur, placing the revolver 
in his pojket. "Now, Harry, what do 
yon want to do with this fellow?" 

"Tie him up first," replied Harry. 

While Harry kept him covered with 

his revolver Arthur looked around and 

found a strap, with Which the hands and 

, feet of t he Confederate were securely tied. 

" Find a place to put him," continued 
Harry. 

Picking up his lantern Arthur held it 
aloft to survey the surroundings. 

The room in which they were seemed 
to be used as a stable and harness-room. 
The walls were hung with saddles, 
bridles, whips, and sabers, while along 
mie end of the room was a tier of stalls. 
A number of doors led out of the room in 
different directions. 

Arthur proceeded to the stalls and 
found all empty. 



"Take him back there," he said to 
Harry, when he returned. 

With one at his head and another at 
his feet the guerilla was quickly placed 
on his back in one of the stalls. 

"Now," said Hairy to him, " we want 
our questions answered, and," flourishing 
his revolver in his enemy's face, " we 
won't hesitate to use these things, if you 
don't tell the truth. What's your name?" 

"Jack Cobb." 

"All right, Mr. Cobb; we won't do you 
any harm, as long as you do as we "tell 
you. What's your business about this 
shanty?" 

" I'm stable, boss," replied Jack. 

" Where's the stable?" asked Harry. u 

" You're in't now," answered the other. 

"What did you come here for just 
now?" Harry went on. 

"None o' yer business." 

"Be careful," admonished Harry, press- 
ing his revolver against the guerilla's 
head. "Answer my question.' 1 

" I come to light the lantern." 

"Once more," said Harr5 r , sternly, and 
the ominous click told Jack he had gone 
too far. 

"The cap sent me here," he began, 
hastily, frightened at his temerity, "to 
find out how many saddles and bridies is 
here." 

" What did he want to know for?" con- 
tinued Harry. 

" He's goin' on an 1 expedition," replied 
Jack. 

" AVhat will he do when he finds you 
don't come back?" 

"Send somebody else to find out, I 
s'pose." 

"Where are the horses that belong 
here?" asked Harry, after a moment's 
thought. 

" Hid in the woods, 'bout half a mile 
away." 

" What are they doing there?" 

" The cap's goin' to use 'em to-night." 

" How many of them are there?" 

" Three." 

" Good ones?" 

"The best in thecountry. Say, Yank," 
Jack continued, "I bin answerin' your 
questions, now answer one of mine-. 
What are vou keepin' me down this way 
fer? Hey?" * 

"Never mind that just now. How 
manv men are there up-stairs?" 

"'Bout thirty." 

"Is there any dry wood and shavings 
in this cellar?" demanded Hairy, ab- 
ruptly. 

Jack seemed astonished at the question. 

"What fer?" he asked, when he re- 
covered himself. 

" Never mind," replied Harry, sharplv, 
"is there?" 



12 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



''They ain't none in this room, but 
they is in another one. over there, but I 
can't show it to you, 'kase you got me 
tied." 

''Cut hi in loose, Artie," said Harry. 

Arthur pulied the clasp-knife from his 
pocket, and flirting the strap from his 
feet assisted him to rise. 

"Remember, now," said Harry, "we 
have oar revolvers on you, and it will be 
sure death to you if you lead us into the 
hands of your friends." 

Jack earnestly protested that none of 
the band was below the first story. 

"Just remember that we have the drop 
on yon, and you know what is best for 
you," was Harry's reply. 

Jack now led them to the end of the 
stable, which was opposite the door 
through which they had entered. The 
door, like all those that connected differ- 
ent rooms in the cellar, was of iron grat- 
ing, and secured by a spring lock. 

" Reach up on the sill and git down the 
key," said Jack. 

Arthur looked up and noticed a small 
projecting stone ridge, upon which he 
found the key. 

Inserting it in the lock the latch opened, 
and they stepped into a long passage- 
way. 

After going some twenty feet Harry 
stopped abruptly, and said: "Go back 
and get a lantern, Artie. We can't see in 
this place." 

Arthur quickly went back to the stable 
room, and was about to pick up one of 
the lanterns, when the outside door was 
kicked open and three guerillas came 
in. 

They stopped an instant in amazement, 
and then, with an ejaculation of surprise, 
rushed upon Arthur, who stood lantern 
in hand, undecided how to act. 

As the guerillas came upon him he 
dropped the lantern just as the foremost 
laid hold of him. 

With one of his lightning blows Arthur 
stretched tin's man on the floor, while 
the other two came upon him at the same 
instant. 

Another right-hander, similar to the 
first, dropped the second man, but the 
third now presented his pistol on one 
side, and the first, who had picked him- 
self off the floor, presented one on the 
other. 

With a loaded pistol looking into each 
eye Arthur knew that he was worsted, 
BO he submitted without any trouble. 

"Now, my young high-stepper, I 
reckon we got you safe now," said one, 
as be finished binding Arthur's hands 
behind his back. 

"Come alone:, now," said one. "I'm 
mighty sure the cap'n 'd like to see you," 



and Arthur was hurried out into the 
open air again. 

They took him around the house and 
walked directly toward a flight of broad* 
stone steps which seemed to Arthur to 
lead into the front hall. 

His conjecture proved true, for his 
captors went quickly up the steps and 
kicked open the magnificent oak doors 
and entered a wide hall. 

"These fellows have driven a Unionist 
family from their house and taken pos- 
session of it," was Arthur's first thought 
after entering, but his attention was 
quickly drawn to his own more pressing 
affairs. 

CHAPTER VI. 

BEFORE THE GUERILLA CAPTAIN. 

His captors led him down the hall di- 
rectly to the door that opened at the 
other end. 

Throwing open this door they stepped 
into a room that was nearly full of men — 
those who had not long since returned 
from their unsuccessful search for Ar- 
thur. 

The entrance of the two guerillas and 
their captive created the greatest sensa- 
tion. They crowded around asking and 
shouting questions, with exclamations 
indicative of the greatest astonishment. 

" Whar'd vou ketch 'im?" 

" Who ketched the Yank." 

These questions were propounded by 
nearly everybody in the room, making 
the babel of voices almost deafening. 

This lasted only a moment when a 
hoarse voice was heard shouting: 

" What's ail this row about? Less 
noise!" 

A score of voices replied: 

"The Yank's ketched, cap'n." 

The mob fell apart to allow the captors 
to bring the prisoner to their chief. 

Making their way through the crowd 
with Arthur still between them, they 
presently stood before a short, heavily- 
built man, with a bushy black beard. 

He bent a sharp glance on Arthur and 
demanded his captors to make their re- 
port. 

" We found this Yank in the stable, 
cap'n." began one. 

The captain started. 

" Where?" he demanded. 

" In the stable," repeated he who had 
spoken. " An' here's Pete Bink an' Tern 
Burk as was with me w'en I found him. ' 

'" (to on," said the captain. 

" He was standin'in the middle o' tfr > 
floor w'en we went in an' we jus' lit om 
him an' brought him up here. That'll 
1 know about it," concluded the eprffc**- 
man. 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



J I 






"What's the matter with your fore- 
head?' asked the captain. "Did you run 
Against the wail?" 

The guerilla looked slowly around the 
circle of interested listeners and then at 
Arthur, before replying. 

"The Yank gimme a knock," he said, 
doggedly. 

Serious as his position was. Arthur 
could not refrain from joining in the 
laugh at his captor's expense. 

"Oh, it ain't me alone," said the guer- 
illa, nettled at The mirth of his friends. 
" Lcok at Pete Bink." 

The gaze of the gang was instantly di- 
rected toward Pete, whose one eye was 
almost closed by the blow Arthur had 
given him in the scuffle in the stable. 

Pete was made the butt of innumer- 
able jests on account of the black ap- 
pearance of his eye. 

"Did yer rub charcoal in yer eye, 
Pete?" asked one. 

" No, he run agin the cellar wall," said 
another. 

They kept on in this way till the chief 
suddenly ordered silence. 

Turning to Arthur, who had been 
standing perfectly quiet all the while, he 
said: 

"Young man, how did you come to be 
in our cellar?" 

"I walked in the door," replied Ar- 
thur. 

"Why did you go in?" asked the guer- 
illa chief. 

"Because I wanted to escape your 
band," replied Arthur. 

"Were you the Yankee soldier or scout 
or spy what raised an alarm in the woods 
near here a short time ago?" 

" I guess I'm the one you mean, though 
I'm no spy." 

"Ah!" said the captain. " What were 
you doing about here, then?" 

" I wasn't doing anything. I was walk- 
ing along peacefully when one of — 1 sup- 
pose — your men came along and " 

Arthur was going to say "molested 
me," when he remembered it was he that 
stopped the guerilla and not the guerilla 
who had stopped him. 

The guerilla chief finished the sentence 
for him. 

"Yes,' 1 he said, "you were walking 
along peacefully until he came along. 
Then you saw fit to try and knock his 
brains out. What was your business in 
this placev" 

" I have business in this place or rather 
in this neighborhood," replied Arthur, 
" but I refuse to divulge the nature of 
it." 

'In that case I must consider you as a 
TC'.'/on spy and act acordingly," and rais- 
ing his voice the captain called two men 



"Take the prisoner up-stairs and see 
that he is placed in a secure apartment." 

"This is getting rather unpleasant," 
thought Arthur,, as he was taken from 
the room. "One good thing is." he con- 
tinued to himself, "that Harry is still 
loose and has that guerilla to guide him 
around so he may get upstairs and get 
me loose, too. 1 hope he won't set the 
house on fire with me in it, tied." 

They went into the wide hall, and as- 
cending the broad stair-case went into 
a room on the seuond floor. 

By the light of a lantern which one of 
the guerillas carried. Arthur noticed that 
he was in a very large room totallv de- 
void of furniture. At the high windows 
hung torn and tattered lace curtains 
which looked as if their appearance was 
due more to hard usage than to age. It- 
was altogether a gloomy-looking room 
and the guerillas seemed" to be anxious 
to get through their work quickly. 

One of them ordered Arthur to lie 
down, and taking a rope from his pocket 
tied i t secu rely round his an k les, and pick- 
ing up the lantern they left the room, 
locking the door after them. 

Arthur tossed about on the hard floor 
for some time after they left, and finally, 
fatigued with the long walk from the 
river and by the exciting scenes through 
which he had passed, he dropped into an 
uneasy slumber. 



CHAPTER VII. 

ALMOST TRAPPED. 

When Harry sent Arthur for a lantern 
while he waited in the passage-way, he 
thought his work nearly accomplished. 
He had figured out a plan which in sub- 
stance was this: He would immediately 
set fire to the house by starting the shav- 
ings in the room of which Jack, the 
guerilla teamster, had spoken; then com- 
pelling him to show them the way, they 
would go and seize Captain Henry's 
horses, all of which he calculated they 
could do by the time the fire had alarmed 
the inmates of the house. 

When once they were seated on the 
captain's horses he was sure, from Jack's 
description of them, that he need be 
afraid of no pursuit. 

All this passed rapidly through his 
mind as Arthur left him to procure a 
lantern, and when he heard the voices 
and the scuffle he knew that Arthur had 
been discovered. 

His own revolver kept Jack in subjec- 
tion, but he waited apprehensively to 
see if Arthur's captors made any investi- 
gation of the cellar, but he was so close 
he heard them declare their intea&w> ,t 



14 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



taking their captive before their superior 
at once. 

Their footsteps dying away almost 
immediately assured him that nothing 
was to be feared from that source. 

"I must have a lantern," he said to him- 
self, "or I can't get along." 

Catching Jack by the arm he hurried 
him back to the stable. 

•• I want a lantern; not the one on the 
floor, but another one," lie said. "Quickly, 
where ran i get it?" 

"They ain't none here," replied Jack. 
" They was all took to hunt in the woods 
feryer brother." 

"I have to take this one, then," said 
Harry. 

He was about to pick up the one on 
the floor, when he saw to his delight the 
dark lantern that Arthur had brought. 

"Lead the way." he said, hastily pick- 
ing it up, "and be quick about it. ' 

They started out into the passage-way 
again, and in a few moments were stand- 
ing before the door that they had started 
to come to before. 

Above the edge was the key, and open- 
ing the door Harry stepped back, mak- 
ing Jack enter first. 

Harry locked the door after him and 
was startled almost immediately by 
hearing the shuffling of feet and voices 
-on the floor above. 

He instantly stepped up to Jack, and 
putting his revolver against his temple, 
said: "I told you I would shoot you 
down and I meant it— if you lead me into 
trouble." 

This room was below the room in 
which the guerillas were congregated 
when Arthur was brought in a prisoner, 
and Harry upon elevating his lantern 
noticed a trap-door in the floor above, 
against which was placed a ladder. 

"Them fellers don't never come down 
here," said Jack, sullenly. "An' you 
wanted me to show you the shavin's." 

In one corner was a huge pile of wood 
and small shavings, though they looked 
as if they had not been disturbed in 
years. 

" How do those shavings happen to 
be here?" asked Harry. 

" Don't know," answered the guerilla. 
" They bin here as long as I have." 

This was rather indefinite, seeing 
Harry knew as little about the shavings 
as about Jack, but he was not interested 
in them except inasmuch as they an- 
swered his purpose. 

11," busied himself with pulling to- 
gether a large pile of them. When this 
was done he stepped back and surveyed 
them approvingly. 

Then he quickly placed the small wood 
on top of it, after which he carefully laid 



on a number of large boards. This 
raised the pile to the height of about six 
feet, or about two feet less than that of 
the ceiling. 

When this was finished he pulled from 
his pocket his wad of cotton aud bottle 
of coal-oil. and pouring the whole on the 
cotton he placed it in the midst of the 
shavings at the bottom of the pile. 

"There." he said to himself, "that 
ought to do the business. "' 

Jack had watched the whole proceed- 
ing in unspeakable surprise. 

"What in tarnation are you goin' to 
do?" he demanded again and again. 

Harry, who had not seen lit to make 
him any reply, now turned to and asked: 

" Where did that three hundred men 
come from that were here last night?" 

"The cap'u gethered 'em in the ken- 
try," replied the guerilla. 

" Is there any other place where they 
gather?" continued Harry. 

" Not as I knows on." 

Whether this was the truth Harry 
could not be certain, as he had no means 
of ascertaining whether his captive was 
deceiving him or not. 

The guerilla seemed to accept his situ- 
ation gracefully, and his ready answers 
gave him no time for prevarication, un- 
less he was very expert in that accom- 
plishment. 

"Now, I tell you what I want you to do," 
said Harry, abruptly changing the sub- 
ject. "I want you to take me up stairs, 
and help me to liberate that young fel- 
low that came here with me. Will you 
do it?" 

" I can't," replied Jack, evasively. 

" Well, there is a private stair-way in 
the house that leads all the way to the 
garret, isn't Vhere?" 

"It's no private stair-way, but there is 
one,'' answered the guerilla. 

" Well, take me to it, right away." 

They went out of the room, locking the 
door after them. 

They had not gone but a few feet when 
a light suddenly appeared at the other 
end of the passage-way. 

One of the guerillas was approaching 
with a lantern in his hand. 

Harry and his captive were just at a 
door when the light first appeared, and 
he instantly shut off his lantern, warning 
Jack at the same time to keep silence. 

Hastily reaching up above the door he 
seized the key, and unlocking the door 
pushed Jack in, while he himself fol 
lowed. 

Just as the door closed the guerilla in 
the passage called out: 

Jack! Jack! where ar you? You lazy 
lubber. I sent for you half an hovJc 
ago." 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



But Jack was silent, Harry's ready re- 
volver being; again called into play, 
while he looked around for some place of 
concealment. 

The doors of The cellar, as has before 
been noted, being grated, the guerilla 
had only to raise his lantern and hold it 
against the bars to get a complete view 
of the room, except the small space along 
the front wall on each side of the door. 

•' Who is that out there? 1 ' asked Harry, 
in a whisper. 

" It's Gilbert, I guess," replied Jack. 
"Who's he?" asked Harry again. 
"He's the captain's leftenant," an- 
swered Jack. 

" Wdl he look in the rooms as he goes 
ilong?" 
" I guess so," was the cheering response. 
"Well, we must get close to the wall, 
and keep out of his sight, if we can," and 
they shifted their positions accordingly. 
Gilbert, however, did not search much 
for his missing man, but passed by, re- 
peating his call every minute or so, and 
muttering to himself in a manner that 
boded ill for Jack. 

In the course of about five minutes he 
returned still more enraged at the fruit- 
lessness of his search. 

" I'll put the scoundrel on bread and 
water a week for this, an' I'll find him 
to-night if he's in this building if I have 
to send every man that's upstairs down 
here," he growled, as he repassed the 
room in which the two were concealed. 

As his footsteps died away Harry de- 
manded: 

" How will he get up-stairs? the way 
we go up?" 

"Yes; unless he goes out the back way 
and up," answered Jack; " but that ain't 
likely." 

"Well, we must follow him right away 
in case he sends somebody down here to 
hunt you up. Come on." 

They were once more in the passage- 
way walking rapidly. 

"We turn off here," said Jack, ab- 
ruptly, stopping where another passage 
intersected the one in which they were. 

"This leads to the stairs, does it?" 
asked Harry. 

"Yes," answered the other, and they 
proceeded down the new passage-way. 

They had not gone far when they were 

again startled by footsteps behind them. 

Just as they turned another guerilla 

came into view in the passage they had 

just left. 

He stopped short on seeing our hero 
and his captive, and after giving one 
stare he fled from the spot as if pursued 
by demons, while the bullet sent after 
him by Harry whistled harmlessly past 
his head. 



"Hurry up, now," said Harry, sharply, 
to the guerilla hostler. "That fellow 
will make mischief enough for me." 

Indeed, the other guerilla was doing 
his best to raise the occupants of the 
mansion. He kept up a continuous yell- 
ing and pounding which, added to the 
noise of Harry's shot, made racket 
enough to be heard far and wide. 

Meanwhile Harry had pushed Jack 
along at a rapid rate, and after changing 
their course once more they finally 
reached a small door of iron built into 
the wall. 

"Where's the key? Quick!" demanded 
Harry, impatiently, looking back every 
moment to see if their pursuers had yet 
come in sight. 

" Don't need no key," answered Ja'ck, 
who now began to show obvious signs of 
unwillingness to act as guide any longer. 
"How do you get through, then?" de- 
manded Harry, finally. "Remember, I 
stand no fooling," and the revolver was 
again raised. 

"They is a spring in the upper corner. 
Put yer finder on't and the door will 
slide," replied Jack, once more subdued. 
Harry held up his lantern but saw 
nothing that looked like a spring, and 
he suspected the guerilla was deceiving 
him; nevertheless he pressed on the 
corner and the door slid back. 

Motioning Jack through he looked 
down the passage again; it was still 
empty, but the shouts and footsteps jtoid 
that a party of the rebels was not far 
distant and approaching rapidly. 

" How far does this door shut?" asked 
Harry, observing that it remained open 
after he went through. 

"Give it a push an' it'll slide shut 
agin," replied Jack, starting up the nar- 
row stair-way. 

After proceeding till he reached about 
the level of the first floor, Harry asked: 
" Where does this lead to?" 
"Clear up to the garret." 
" Are there no doors leading from it on 
each floor?" 
"No." 

" Why is that?" asked Harry, sur- 
prised. 

"Don't know," was Jack's reply. 
He seemed to know but little of the 
whys and wherefores of the house, if he 
told the truth, and what he didn't know 
he seemed content to remain in igno- 
rance of. 

"Well, we'll stop here a few minutes 
anyway, till those fellows have time to 
get into the cellar." 

Jack stopped, and as he did so mar- 
veled at how completely he was in the 
Yankee's power. It is true his hands 
were bound, but then he had always Do 



16 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



lieved like the larger part of the rebels 
that one of their soldiers was a match for 
at least two Union soldiers, and he 
awakened, as did many others, to the error 
of their idea before they fought many 
iut>i: r hs of t lie war. 

*' Where do yon confine your prisoners 
in this house?" asked Harry, suddenly 
breaking in upon his reverie. 

" Never had any afore." 

" Where do you suppose Arthur is?" 
asked Harry, impatiently. 

" Maybe in the cellar or on the first 
floor or on the second," replied Jack. 

Harry, in disgust, ordered him to pro- 
ceed up stairs, thinking he could use his 
time more profitably otherwise than in 
questioning the perverse guerilla. 

The stair way Seemed very long, and it 
6eemed to Harry that they must have 
come very much higher than the house 
could possibly be. 

At last they stepped under a trap-door, 
■which upon opening, Harry was suprised 
to find himself looking out upon the flat 
roof of the house. He turned fiercely to 
the guerilla, and demanded why he had 
brought him here. 

"Wait a minit," replied Jack, coolly, 
and stepping out upon the roof he di- 
rected his steps to one side a short dis- 
tance. 

" Here," he said to Harry, who followed 
closely, "is the trap that lets down into 
the garret." 

"Is it safe to go down there?" asked 
Harry. 

"They ain't anybody there, if that's 
what you mean." 

"Go ahead, then," commanded Harry. 

The guerilla stepped carefully upon 
the ladder which served the trap as steps, 
and with Harry following closely, they 
descetided into a large garret un parti- 
tioned and unfinished. Jack, without 
stopping, led the way to the other end, 
and lifting another trap-door with his 
feet disclosed another small stair-way. 

"That leads to a little room on the 
second floor," he explained, "an' that 
opens to the hall." 

" All right," said Harry. " Go ahead." 

Jack started down the stairs, and when 
they reached the little room they heard 
the noise of the search which was being 
vigorously prosecuted. 

Harry went, to the door that led to the 
hall and opening it a crack peered out, 
and then turning around quickly mo- 
tioned Jack to his side. " Who's .that?" 
he whispered. 

Jack peered through the crack and 
drew back nodding his head expressive- 
ly, "That's cap," he said. 

It was the same short, thick-set, heavi- 
ly-bearded man that Harry had seen a 



couple of hours before in the woods, and 
he was walking rapidly down the hall. 

At length, reaching a door he unlocked 
it and stepped inside 

" Come on," said Harry, and they hui 
ried after him. 



CHAPTER VIII. 
A FIRE STARTUP. 

It seemed to Arthur that he had 
scarcely fallen asleep when a heavy hand 
was laid on his shoulder and a voice said 
in his ear; 

"So ho! my young bird, it's not you, 
then, that's making this disturbance:'" 

The captain had just betaken himself 
to his rest when the uproar was raised in 
the cellar, and the first thing he thought 
of was his prisoner — hence his visit to 
Arthur. 

Arthur with difficulty collected his 
scattered senses. He did not know where 
he was at first, and just as his where- 
abouts and the condition of things began 
to dawn on him the captain of the guer- 
illa band spoke again. 

'• What has become of your partner?" 
he asked. "There were two of you 
roaming around this evening, bit I 
neglected to seize the other lad when I 
did you." 

As the captain was speaking the door, 
opened softly and two figures stole si- 
lently in. 

Arthur, who was lying face to the door, 
saw the whole proceeding, while the 
guerilla chief, who was facing Arthur, re- 
mained in ignorance of it. 

" I guess you would have seized him if 
you could when your men captured me," 
replied Arthur, bluntly, not knowing 
just what to say to hold the captain's at- 
tention. 

"Still," said the captain, "you haven't 
told me where the oth«»- spy is." 

" Here he is!" exclaimed another voice. 

The captain sprung up, only to find 
himself confronted by th« navy revolver 
that had quelled his unde" ling so effectu- 
ally and so often during the past two 
hours. 

"Walk into that corner avd don't say a 
word," commanded Harry, j*nd stooping 
down he cut Arthur's bonds, vt the same 
time keeping an eye on his two captivos. 

" We must tie the captain up, Artie," 
he said. "Get something quf".k. it's 
getting too warm around here for us." 

Arthur cast his eyes about the room, 
and then stepped up to the window <md 
tore down the curtains. 

"They'll hold him, I guess," he mat- 
tered, "and it's the only thing there I ." 

In the course of a few seconds the Jul 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



17 



tain was in the same plight in which he 
nail found Arthur only a few moments 
before. 

When Harry said it was getting too 
warm for them, he felt that he had been 
too long coming So that conclusion. He 
might well think that, after creating snch 
a disturbance among the guerillas, and 
keeping out of their power so long, they 
would take particular precautions to pre- 
vent him and Arthur from escaping 
finally. 

That they could easily do this he did 
not doubt, and if fortune came not to his 
aid very soon the future looked gloomy 
enough. 

Still the guerillas, thus far, had not 
shown any remarkable sagacity, and tak- 
ing their stupidity for granted he hoped 
to outwit them by their own actions, 
rather than by any brilliant move on his 
own part. 

One cause of his perplexity was Jack, 
the hostler — he did not know what dis- 
position to make of him. 

He feare/1 to take him along on the 
move that he was about to make, and he 
hesitated about leaving him with the 
guerilla chief. 

While his brows were knit over these 
matters the sounds of the search were 
gradually coming nearer, as if a party of 
the guerillas were about to begin "on the 
first floor. 

Realizing that whatever was to be done 
must he done quickly, Harry said: 

".Where can we put this fellow, Artie?" 
nodding toward Jack. " We want to get 
him out of the way." 

"We might tie his feet and put him 
into the next room," suggested Arthur. 
"There's a door. See where it leads too." 

Harry opened the door indicated, and 
by the aid of the lantern discovered an- 
other room, somewhat smaller than the 
one in which they were. He was about 
to close the door when he noticed a small 
door in the wall on th« opposite side, 
about four feet high by one broad. 

"What is that little door used for?" he 
demanded of the prisoners. 

Jack Cobb looked at his chief, expect- 
ing him to reply, but the captain re- 
mained silent. 

"Speak out!" exclaimed Harry, impa- 
tiently, drawing his revolver, but for 
once in the evening he had mistaken his 
man. 

The guerilla chieftain was a brave man, 
and he looked into the muzzle of the re- 
volver without flinching, at the same 
time saying calmly: 

"If you think you are more likely to 
get information from me by shooting me, 
&■*•/• are welcome to make the attempt." 

Aarry looked at him a moment in as- 



tonishment, and then without a word 
turned to the other guerilla, and repeated 
his question. 

"Jack," interrupted the guerilla chief, 
"if you reply to tliat question remember 
that you have an account with me to 
settle, and a severe one, too." 

But Jack had already caught the cap- 
tain's spirit, and had refused to make 
reply. 

Harry put his revolver back in his pock- 
et, turning as he did so to the guerilla 
chief. 

"You are right," he said. "I could 
gain nothing by taking the lives of either 
of you," and going directly to the little 
door with a lantern and opening it, he 
disappeared beyond it. 

Arthur, who had said nothing during 
the whole proceedings, waited apprehen- 
sively for the result of Harry's trip. 

Presently Harry came back, and catch- 
ing the guerilla hostler by the shoulders 
motioned Arthur to seize his feet, which 
had been bound together. 

"Now." said Harry, when they had de- 
posited their burden in the next room, 
" we'll leave." 

"Whereto now?" questioned Arthur. 

"Come on, I'll show you," answered 
Harrv, once more stepping put into the 
hall." 

Leading the way to the small room in 
which were the stairs leading to the gar- 
ret, he was about to ascend, when a series 
of unearthly yells and shouts burst upon 
his ears. 

Our two friends looked at each other in 
dismay. 

Both realized that they had made a 
serious mistake in neglecting to gag their 
two prisoners. 

Before their shouts could be suppressed 
the alarm would be all through the 
house. 

"Be quick," cried Harr} r , springing up 
the stairs; " we haven't a moment to 
lose " 

" Bolt that door behind you," he cried, 
on reachiug the head of the stairs. 
"Now, notice where you are going," he 
continued, when Arthur joined him. 
"Follow me, and lock every door that has 
a fastening." 

With the aid of their lantern they soon 
found the ladder leading up to the roof. 

When they pushed off the trap door 
Arthur whispered to Harry, who carried 
the lantern: "Shut off the light; there 
may be some of the rascals out in the 
yard." 

When they reached the door that led 
to the cellar they listened a moment, but 
if there was any persons coming they 
could neither see nor hear them. 

Unluckily for them there was no bolt 



18 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



on the inside of this door, and all they 
could do, as they went through, was to 
pull it tight shut. 

They proceeded as quickly and as si- 
lently as possible down the narrow stair- 
way, and as they n eared the bottom the 
shouts and noises had nearly .ill died away. 
"This miist lead to the center of the 
earth,'' said Arthur, in surprise. "How 
did you happen to find this out Harry?" 
•' Ob, I've been around the whole place 
while you've been running afoul of every 
guerilla that has come within a mile of 
you." 

" I did run most terribly foul of one of 
the rascals. Just look at my forehead," 
replied Arthur, chuckling. 

" What did that?" asked Harry, notic- 
ing a large red spot much swelled. 

" I ran into a fellow out in the woods, 
and struck him on the back of the head 
with my forehead, and knocked him into 
a little brook head first. Just look at my 
feet how wet they are. I went in, too," 
and Arthur surveyed his feet ruefully. 

" Well, we must be moving, or you will 
be worse off than that by a good bit," 
suid Harry, hastening on. 

In a few moments more they reached 
the bottom of the stair-way. 

Listening a moment Harry opened the 
door cautiously and peered out. The pas- 
sage was in darkness, and not a sound 
greeted their ears except from above. 

Stepping out they moved quickly down 
the passage, intent on reaching the room 
where the pile of shavings had been 
heaped. 

Turning off at the first intersection of 
passages Harry stopped a moment to 
think. 

" I guess this is the right way," he mut- 
tered, stepping forward again. In a few 
seconds they reached the main passage, 
and there Harry recovered his reckoning. 
A few steps brought them to the door of 
the room for which they were making, 
and on noticing it Harry stopped short. 

It, was not as he left it — locked, but 
wide open. 

The guerillas had evidently been in it, 
as in every other room in the cellar, 
searching for him. 

He wondered what they thought of the 
pile of combustible material, and whether 
they suspected its purpose. 

After making sure that nobody was 
there he stepped in. 

•Humph!" he said to Arthur, as the 
condition of the room fell upon his eyes. 
" They must have thought we were hiding 
under that pile." 

Something, indeed, they must have 
thought, for the pile was there no longer, 
and what went to constitute it was scat- 
tered over every inch of the floor. 



Boards, shavings, and small wood were 
lying about in the most promiscuous 
fashion, and the odor of the coal-oil that 
Harry had used pervaded the room. 

The two set to work with all haste tc 
set the pile up again. The cotton wad 
saturated with oil was found in a corner, 
and as many of the soaked shavings as 
could be gathered were placed upon it. 

In the course of a quarter of an hour 
the heap touched the sleepers in the floor 
above. 

" We'll get her started, anyway," mut- 
tered Hairy, as he knelt down and struck 
a match. 

Holding it a moment until it blazed up 
brightly, he applied it to the cotton wad, 
then to several other points. 

In a minute the whole pile was in a 
blaze, and the smoke rolling out com- 
pelled them to vacate the room as quickly 
as they could. 

Upon reaching the passage-way they 
looked back to see how the tire was pro- 
gressing. Through the smoke they could 
see the flames licking the ceiling, which 
was already much blackened. 

"Come on," said Harry, moving off. 
" The quicker we get away from here the 
better it will be for us." 

They started in the direction of the 
stable, but hearing voices there they 
paused* 

" Wait a second," whispered Arthur, 
"and I'll take a peep and see who's 
there." 

Stepping softly forward he stood a 
moment before the door which led into 
the stable. 

"Well?" said Harry, when hereturnedc 

" Eight of them there," was the reply. 

Turning about they started back to- 
ward the fire again. When they passed 
the door they could see that the fire had 
caught the floor above and was spreading 
rapidly. 

" Let's turn off here," suggested Ar- 
thur, pointing to a passage that they had 
not yet had occasion to use. 

Just then they were startled by shouts 
of "fire! fire!" 

"Hurry up!" both exclaimed, darting 
down the passage. 

The cry of fire was taken up and echoed 
and re-echoed through the whole house. 



CHAPTER IX. 

PURSUIT. 

When the guerilla chief was taken and 
bound so cleverly by Harry, he knew 
that he would not remain long a captive, 
as somebody was sure to come to the 
room to look after the captive they had 
placed there only a short time before. 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



lft 



The captain was therefore surprised 
that no move was made to gag either 
himself or his hostler, and accordingly 
congratulated himself that the tables 
would be once more turned, and this 
Time in his favor. 

He had no sooner satisfied himself that 
the Yankees were out of sight, than 
lie and Jack Cobb set the house in alarm 
by shouting at the top of their voices. 
Their situation, however, prevented their 
being heard for some minutes, thus giving 
our heroes a valuable start. 

Though Cobb had been placed in the 
next room, it was more for the purpose of 
preventing him assisting the captain to 
release himself, than to put him out of 
reach of his chief's voice; consequently 
the following dialogue took place, with- 
out material inconvenience to either cf 
them: 

"How did you happen to fall in with 
those two Yanks?" was the captain's first 
question. 

•'They dropped on me when I went to 
the cellar to see 'bout them saddles an' 
bridles,'' answered Jack.- 

"Hum'.'' growled the captain. "It's 
funny you should let two spring chickens 
like those fellows take you in." 

" I couldn't do nothin' w'en each stuck 
a revolver 'most down my throat," re- 
plied Jack, sullenly, thinking at the time 
that his chief had not done any better, 
when he was captured a few minutes be- 
fore. 

" Weren't you there when Pete Bink 
and the other two caught the big Yaflik? 
Why didn't they get the other one?" 
"'Cause they didn't see him." 
" Where was he?" 

'* In the main cellar, and the other was 
in the stable." 

"How did they happen to be sepa- 
rated?" 

"The big feller went back for a lantern, 
and that's how he fell in with Pete's 
crowd." 

"And left his mark on them, too," 
added the captain to himself; then rais- 
ing his voice he asked: "What did the 
Yanks want in the cellar?" 

" One o' them axed me if they was any 
shavin's an' wood in the cellar, and told 
me to take him around," answered Jack. 
The captain started. 
" That's a very suspicious circum- 
stance," he muttered; then louder, "tell 
me all that happened until you reached 
this room." 

Cobb thereupon rehearsed the various 
maneuvers above and below, and was 
just finishing when hurrying footsteps 
in the hall announced that their shouts 
had been heard and assistance had ar- 
rived 



The half-dozen guerillas who opened 
the door stood speechless with surprise 
at the sight of their bold chief lying 
bound in the heart of his own strong- 
hold, which hitherto no enemy bad 
approached nearer to than five miles. 

"Well, men," growled the captain, not 
relishing much the thought of the spec- 
tacle he presented, "don't stand staring 
there like a lot of fools, but get me 
loose." 

With a chorus of ejaculations and im- 
precations against those who had the 
audacity to reduce their chief to such a 
plight, the guerillas crowded into the 
room, and quickly releasing Captain 
Henry, demanded who had bestowed 
the indignity upon him. 

The captain pointed expressively to the 
spot where Arthur lay, at the same time 
saying: 

"Where's our prisoner?" 
Some were starting out tt renew the 
search, when the chief ordered them to 
await his commands. 

"Go into the next room and bring Cobb 
here, before anything else is done." 

Two of the group about the captain 
instantly went to the next room, and in a 
moment reappeared with Jack Cobb. 

" Is there anybody still looking for the 
Yanks?" demanded the captain. 

A number of the guerillas answered in 
the affirmative. 

" Whereabouts?" asked the captain. 
"Some in the cellar an' some on the 
first floor, an' we come up-stairs to see 
what the hollerin' was fer," was the 
answer. 

" Co down to the cellar," said the cap- 
tain to the speaker, "and tell those who 
are there to guard all ways leading out, 
and to shoot the first person that goes 
out, no matter who he is." 

Then turning to another he said: 
"Gilbert, how many have we heiv to- 
night?" 

"About thirty," answered that worthy. 

"Take four other men and surround 

the house to catch the blue-jackets in 

case they get out. We must have them 

at any cost." 

Others were given orders to search the 
first and second floors, while the captain 
purposed, with Cobb's assistance, to take 
upon himself a special search. 

When all had taken their departure 
save Cobb, the chief went up to him and 
said: 

" You were in that room. Are you sure 
the blue-jackets didn't go down there?" 
indicating the small door, two by four 
feet, the purpose of which, it will be re- 
membered, Captain Henry declined to 
acquaint Harry. 

"No; he came up an 1 took me in the 



20 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



next room, an' then they both went out 
into the hall," answered Cobb, positively. 

The room of which the captain spoke 
was a small room, about eight feet square 
aud seven feet from floor to ceiling-. It 
was placed, by some strange whim, be- 
tween the first aud second floors, under 
the stair-well', so that its existence would 
never be known, except for the small 
door, before spoken of, in the room be- 
hind that in which Arthur had been con- 
lined. 

What the original intention of placing 
the room there was, not even the guer- 
illas knew, and they set it down to the 
eccentricity ot the" builder. When one 
thinks of the extensive cellar and devious 
maze of passage- ways and the secret 
stairs it is not surprising that they should 
come to such a conclusion. 

The captain of the guerilla band, for 
reasons best known to himself, had kept 
the existence of this apartment a pro- 
found secret to his men until a short time 
previous, when one of them discovered 
it during the captain's absence. 

In consequence of its discovery, Captain 
Henry issued orders that no one but him- 
self and his lieutenant, Gilbert, should 
under any circumstances enter the room. 
The reason for this was that the place 
was a store-house for what ammunition 
the band used and what they captured 
from United States supply wagons, and 
for any other articles the captain deemed 
it expedient to keep out of the hands of 
his men. 

The captain mused a moment when 
Cobb told him that our heroes had not 
gone to the magazine-room, as it was 
called, and motioning Jack to follow he 
stepped out into the hall. 

They iirst went to a number of places 
that the captain considered of sufficient 
security to attract the attention of Harry 
and Arthur, Cobb meanwhile adding 
some incidents that he had left untold, 
when the guerillas crowded into the room 
to effect their release. 

By this time the captain had reached 
the little room that led to the garret and 
thence to the roof, when he recollected 
that he was unarmed. 

He turned around and said: "Jack, 
go and get me a couple of pistols and get 
a musket for yourself. Hurry up." 

Jack stepped out of the room and in 
the course of a few minutes returned with 
the required articles. 

"Now," said the captain, "yougoahead 
and show me just where they have been, 
so that 1 can tell what they have not 
found out." 

The stair door through which they 
passed had been wrenched off its hinges 
by the party already sent to the garret, 



and the captain paused as he noted it; 
but just as he was about to make an in- 
quiry a wild shout from below fell upon 
his ear. 

"Fire! fire P' was the cry. "Fire! fire! 
The house's on lire! Hi! hi!" 



CHAPTER X. 

AN EXPLOSION. 

When Harry and Arthur heard the 
alarm of fire started and taken up 
throughout the whole house, they knew 
that matters with them were fast ap- 
proaching a crisis. They might escape 
in the confusion resulting from the fire, 
but if not, it was hard to tell what the 
guerillas, already so furious, would do 
to them. 

As matters stood then there was, 
though the boys didn't know it, four dif- 
ferent parties searching for them, one on 
each floor and one outside. The fire- 
alarm, so unexpected, might reduce this 
force for the purpose of suppressing the 
fire, but even if such was the ease theii 
prospects of escape were not very briuht. 

Harry, however, congratulated him- 
self that the work which he had come on 
the expedition to perform was done, and 
so he could look to the future with a 
lierhter heart than if the whole matter 
had resulted in failue. 

Another cause for congratulation was 
that both of them were still at large, and 
he was confident if they could only re- 
mai,n so till the vigor of the search had 
passed by, they would then have an ex- 
cellent chance to make their way to the 
river. 

It was part of Harry's plan in the first 
place to lire the house and get out of 
it before the alarm was raised, but it has 
been seen that from the first there was a 
series of interruptions and obstacles to 
the carrying out of this plan, which 
might never have been surmounted had 
it not been for Arthur's capture. 

They were now trying to find their 
way out of the cellar. Harry was not 
familiar enough with it to accomplish 
this. 

They had just entered a passage-way 
hitherto unnoticed when the alarm ot 
lire reached them, and stopping, they 
listened a few seconds to the hub-bub 
that instantly arose. 

They then proceeded to examine each 
room as they went, by holding their 
lantern above them and peering between 
the bars of the door. 

There was nothing encouraging to be 
found, for nothing greeted them but bare 
stone walls. 

" Let's go to the end of this passage 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



2 J 



before we look at anything else/' said 
A rt h u rim patien t 1 y. 

'"All right," replied Harry, handing 
him the lantern. "Go ahead; I'll stay 
here and watch." 

Arthur took the lantern and started 
down the passage at a rapid walk. He 
noticed that the doors got wider apart as 
h'.. ; went along, and near the end of the 
passage there was a space of nearly 
twenty feet between them. He was sur- 
prised also to find t lie passage turn ab- 
ruptly just as he thoughc he had reached 
tin- end. 

Before turning the corner he closed the 
lantern and listened intently. Hearing 
nothing lie advanced cautiously in the 
darkness, feeling his way along the wall 
with his hand. 

After moving along about ten feet in 
this way he brought up suddenly, and 
feeling about concluded he had reached 
the end. 

A ray of light from the lantern showed 
him he was not wrong. 

Turning on the full light again he 
clohely examined the wall, which seemed 
to be a bit of solid masonry thrown 
across the passage. 

Arthur's sharp eyes detected an almost 
imperceptible crack running from the 
top to a point about a foot from the bot- 
tom of the wall. 

" That must mean something," he mut- 
tered, and stepping up closer he went 
over the whole surface again. 

" Ha!" he exclaimed, as he discovered 
two horizontal cracks meeting and run- 
ning at right angles from the first. 

"Another secret door, as sure as I 
live," he said to himself. "I wonder 
where it leads tof 

Picking up the lantern he left the place 
to call Harry, and going hastily back he 
held it up to attract his attention, but 
not seeing him Arthur went further, at 
the same time saying to himself: "I 
thought the place I left him was nearer." 

He walked almost to the end of the 
passage, greatly surprised and alarmed to 
find no trace of Harry. 

He was about to go further when the 
sound of a number of feet approaching 
compelled him to beat a hasty retreat in 
the darkness. 

Upon reaching the private door he 
stopped to think what could have caused 
Ha* ry to disappear so completely and in 
so .ittle time. 

He surely would not have given up to 
tbr guerillas," thought Arthur, "with 
ol ' a struggle and I should have heard 
th«»'v. We have the confoundedest luck," 
he growled to himself, his wrath begin- 
ning to rise at their successive failures to 
Leep together. " How am I goinsr to 



help him or he help me when neither 
knows where the other is/ Just as a 
place to get out is found " 

Arthur shopped; he was not sure that 
this was a place to get out, and without 
more grumbling he set to work to find 
out. 

He went carefully over the whole wall 
again, but he was rewarded by finding 
nothing more. Then he searched for a 
spring in the door and on both sides, but 
in this also he failed. . 

He stepped back and again looked 
over the whole surface, and not finding 
anything said to himself: 

" I'll have to try it this way, I guess." 

Putting both hands close to the edge, 
opposite the one that held the hinges," if 
there were such things in its make-up, he 
gave a gentle push, but the door did not 
budge. 

Repeating the action with more 
strength, he saw with delight that it 
moved inward about half an inch, but as 
soon as he withdrew the pressure it re- 
sumed its first position. 

"Ha! Spring hinges," he said to him- 
self, applying himself to it again. 

It was only by the exercise of all his 
strength that he was able to open it 
enough to see beyond, but he was grati- 
fied beyond expression to see that it was 
all that was between him and the yard. 

"I don't know that I can do "better 
than to get out of this, so if Harry is 
captured I can do something for him, 
maybe." 

So saying Arthur drew back, and pick- 
ing up the lantern prepared to leave the 
cellar. 

When he pushed open the stone door 
again it worked much easier. 

"Those hinges must be awful rusty," 
he commented, as he forced himself 
through. 

Noticing the coast was clear he stepped 
entirely out into the yard, still bearing 
the faithful lantern. 

He turned around to look for the door, 
% but it had swung back, and all trace of it 
was lost in the rough stone foundation. 

Just then a thought came to him that 
almost took his breath away. 

" Suppose the fire had been put out." 

It was still dark and he saw no trace or 
sign of anything like fire. 

He stole away, making for the border 
of trees, resolved to hide himself there 
and await developments. 

About twenty feet to the one side of 
him was the large cellar door by which 
he had entered. Upon the top of one of 
the side walls stood a man looking in at 
the window placed above the cellar-way. 

He was so interested in what he saw 
within that he did not 6ee Arthur step 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



quickly across the yard and into the 
bushes. 

This move was not made a moment too 
soon, for he had scarcely entered the 
woods when a bright light shot up from 
the top of the house, illuminating the 
surroundings with a lurid glare. 

The fire had burst through the roof, 
and th (guerillas were about abandoning 
their efforts to extinguish it. 

In a few moments they began to pour 
our of the house at all points, and Arthur 
was compelled to exchange his position 
for one deeper in the woods. 

The guerillas were almost exhausted by 
their fierce 4>at tie with the flames, and 
most of them lay down on blankets in 
the yard to catch a little sleep before the 
dawn of day, which was fast drawing 
near. 

A half-dozen others took lanterns and 
began to search the woods, as if looking 
for something, but just as they reached 
the bushes the captain and two others 
burse from the burning building, and 
running toward the recumbefnt group 
shouted something in a loud voice. 

Immediately all started up. and with 
exclamations of surprise and fear started 
for the woods at the top of their speed. 

Before Arthur had to think what could 
lie the cause of their terror, a terrific con- 
cussion shook the ground under Ids feeT, 
and stone and burning wood were thrown 
hii?h in the air, and one of the walls of 
the d <K ened house fell inward with a loud 
crash, sending forth a golden cloud of 
sparks. 

The explosion seemed to end the fury 
of the flames, and by daylight nothing 
but a, smoking heap of ruins was left of 
the once noble stone mansion. 



CHAPTER XI. 

IN A REBEL PRISON. 

We left Harry alone in the passage-way 
looking after Arthur's retreating figure, 
and wondering if they would be able to 
circumvent the guerillas in the end. 

He thrust his hands deep into his pock- 
ad leaned against the wall, thinking 
of all they had passed through that 
night, when he was startled to see the. 
light of Arthur's lantern disappear. 

*" I wonder if he hears any of the rebels," 
he said to himself, anxiously, straining 
his earsto catch the slight est sound. 

He waited a few minutes, and was about 
to sicd after Arthur when he heard 
voices iii the opposite direction. 

Hastily deciding upon his course he 
went to the nearest door, and getting the 
key from the sill above it, unlocked it 
and went in. 



He remembered as he endeavored to 
find some piace of concealment that 
when looking into this room a few min- 
utes before he had seen a door of wood 
on the opposite-side. 

He at once decided to get beyond it, 
but on pushing it open it gave a creak 
that frightened him so much that he shut 
it with a bang that attracted the atten- 
tion of the guerillas in the passage. 

Looking through the key-hole he saw 
two of them stop at the door which led 
into the passage and survey carefully the 
interior of the room, but as he had locked 
that door and the one he last opened, he 
did not much fear them, unless they used 
force to get in. 

What was his surprise then to see one 
of the men pull a key from his pocket 
and open the outer door, saying at the 
same Time: ''That must-be the one we 
heard," pointing to the door behind 
which Harry stood. 

When he heard this Harry felt that his 
freedom was about to end. Nevertheless 
he quickly inserted the key in the lock to 
prevent the guerilla using his, if he had 
one; then drawing a match along the 
wall he saw by its li^ht another door, 
through which he passed just as lie 
heard the rebel endeavoring to get his 
key in the other lock. 

Having by this method i^ot the start of 
his pursuers he passed through several 
other rooms, and going so far from where* 
he left Arthur that he could not have re- 
turned if he would. 

The fire now made an unexpected bar- 
rier to his progress. The room be had last 
entered was next tqonein which he could 
hear the roaring and crackling of the 
burning timbers, and all around echoed 
theshontsof the guerillas, who were mak- 
ing strenuous efforts to subdue it. 

It was so hot in the room that he found 
he would have to get out of it at any cost. 

There were only two doors in it — the 
one by which he had entered and another 
on the opposite side. 

Fearful of running into the two guer> 
illas from whom he had just escaped, he 
chose the latter, and unlocking it he 
peered cautiously out. 

Only about twenty paces away the 
flames were roaring fiercely, and licking 
UD the huge dry timbers with great ra- 
pidity. 

He was about to draw back and seek 
an escape by the other door, when his 
arm was roughly seized and two loaded 
revolvers were thrust into his face, while 
a voice hissed in his ear: 

"I've got you this time for good." 

When Harrv recovered himself he found 
that he was in the possession of Captain 
Henry and his hostler, both of whom he 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



23 



hail left bound up-stairs not more than 
half an hour before. 

He was ordered savagely to go down 
the passage-way as quick as he could 
move, and as he heard the guerilla chief 
mutter something about "Yankee fools 
that, would stand around a burning pow- 
der-magazine till they were blown up," 
he remembered for the first time since he 
went into the little secret room up-stairs 
what he had seen there. 

He judged from Henry's remark and 
from his haste to leave the locality that 
the tire was perilously near the powder- 
room, and not wishing, any more than 
the captain, to be blown up, he increased 
his pace accordingly. 

"Hurry up, cap'n," said Jack Cobb, 
whose face was white with fear. " We'll 
be dead men if we ain't outeu this in no 
time." 

They were already running down the 
passage-way at the top of their speed, 
and Harry, who was much lighter of foot 
than either of them, was forging ahead 
when the captain ordered him to regulate 
his pace in accordance with theirs. 

They passed through the stable with- 
out stopping, and upon reaching the 
yard and seeing his men stretched on the 
grass preparing to sleep, the captain 
yelled: "Get up out of that, men, the 
place is full of powder.- Every mother's 
son of you will be blown to bits if you 
don't move!" 

As one man the prostrate group ros« 
with yells of astonishment and consterna- 
tion, and flew from the spot like fright- 
ened deer, hardly gaiwing the shelter of 
the woods when the explosion took place. 
Captain Henry, Jack Cobb and their 
prisoner being the last received a number 
of bruises from the falling fragments. 
The captain received a smart rap on the 
knuckles from a bit of falling stone, 
while pieces of mortar struck Cobb and 
Harry in their downward course. 

"Secure the prisoner," said the cap- 
tain, curtly, when he reached the spot in 
the woods where they intended to pass 
the remainder* of the night, and then, 
moving to a convenient spot, he gloomily 
watched the progress of the fire which 
had deprived him and his band of their 
elegant quarters. 

In accordance with his orders Harry 
was bound hand and foot and placed 
upon the ground like a billet of 
wood, where wearied in body and har- 
assed in mind he fell into an uneasy sleep. 
When he awoke it was broad daylight 
and the guerilla chief was bending over 
him. 

As soon as he saw Harry was awake he 
demanded: "Where is the other feller? 
Unless you know something about him 



he was probably blown up in the explo- 
sion!" 

Harry was horror struck. He had 
thought all along that Arthur was again 
a prisoner of the guerillas, and the cap- 
tain's query threw him into che greatest 
excitement and dismay. He would at 
that moment far rather have seen Ar- 
thur a prisoner than believe what the 
rebel chief had told him. 

"Don't you know where he is?" he 
asked, anxiously. 

"No," replied the captain. "That's 
what I just asked you." 

" Well, we got separated in the cellar," 
replied Harry, too much disturbed to at- 
tempt fo deceive the captain, "and he 
left me; that is the last I saw of him.' 1 

" I guess he met his just dues, then," 
said the captain, coolly. "It's likely 
that he only forestalled the action of the 
commander of this district. I wouldn't 
give much for the lives of those who did 
the damage here last night." 

With this significant remark the guer- 
illa left Harry a prey to the most pain 
ful reflections. 

Aside from the uncertainty of Arthur's 
fate his own situation was perilous in the 
extreme. 

He recalled the captain's remark con- 
cerning the workers of the destruction of 
the guerilla stronghold and shuddered. 
Stdl it was comforting to think that his 
lite was not at the disposal of this law- 
less band, and indeed he was not so 
down hearted when he thought that he 
had considered all the probable dangers 
of his enterprise before he left the Dragon 
Fly. 

What troubled him most was the dis- 
appearance of Arthur. He remembered 
now what had slipped his mind before — 
that he had Deglected to tell Arthur the 
contents of the magazine-room, not 
dreaming they should again be sep- 
arated. 

For this Harry reproached himself 
severely. It was unintentional of course, 
but then Arthur might have tound a 
means of escape, instead of using which 
he preferred to remain in the building 
to wait for Harry, thus placing himself 
unconsciously in the danger of being 
blown up. 

All this and much more Harry thought 
over while lying on the ground in the 
midst of the guerilla camp, but however 
much he might ponder and reason, he 
could explain nothing satisfactorily that 
troubled him, so he wisely concluded to 
wait till they explained themseives. 

As near as he could guess it was about 
nine o'clock when three horses were 
brought to the camp and tied to trees 
near by, by Jack Cobb. 



24 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



A few minutes later he saw the guerilla 
chief ami bis lieu tenant, Gilbert, engaged 
in earnest consultation, pointing now to 
the horses anu then waving their hands 
toward the woods. 

Gilbert listened attentively to what his 
superior said, occasionally nodding and 
pointing in various directions, as if to 
be sure he understood. 

At length, as the conference ceased, 

the captain handed a large sealed envelope 

to him, while Gilbert called one of the 

guerillas that Harry afterward ascer- 

: (1 was Pete Bink. 

Giving Pete an order he turned and 
walked up to one of the horses^patting 
it affectionately. 

Pete calling another guerilla ap- 
proached Harry, and cutting the fasten- 
ings from liis ankles lifted him to his 
feet, while the other approached with 
one of the horses. 

They placed Harry astride the animal, 
at the same time tying his hands before 
him instead of behind as they had been 
during the night. This was probably to 
render riding more easy for him, though 
he was at a loss to know why they took 
such pains to make him comfortable. 

As soon as lie was placed to their satis- 
faction, Gilbert and Bink sprung into 
their saddles and they rode off, each hav- 
ing a hold on Harry's brjdle. 

Their course held due south from the 
ruins of the stoue house, and for about 
two miles their road led 'through the 
wooils which surrounded the house. 

After they reached a more open coun- 
try they turned their horses' heads 
slightly to the southwest. 

The few houses they passed were large- 
ly those of rebel sympathizers, who 
cheered lustily the guerillas and jeered 
the blue uniform. • 

" Humph!" said Harry to himself. "I 
thought the people through here were 
Unionists. They don't seem to be par- 
ticularly struck with me, at any rate." 

The slow trot of the horses was very 
tiresome and Harry asked " can't you go 
faster. ' 

The horses themselves were magnifi- 
cent animals and they seemed To like the 
gait as little as did Harry, but Gilbert 
checked them every time they showed a 
disposition to increase their speed. 

" They are going fast enough," was his 
reply to Harry. 

: ' Where are we p; mm'.'"' asked Harry, 
hoping t<> get something our of one or 
the oi her. 

"See here, Yank," said Gilbert, turh- 

inur sharply around, " the less you open 

your jaw to me the better I'll be satis- 

I. You hear urf" 

"I understand," said Harry. "Tell 



me what I asked and I'll t>other you no 
more." 

But Gilbert rode on in silence, taking 
no notion of the last question, so Harry 
was compelled to be satisfied. 

Failing in his efforts to gain some in- 
formation, he began to find the journey 
grow very monotonous. It was now not 
more than twelve o'clock, and at the 
rate they had been moving they could 
hardly have made more that twelve 
miles, but had he known it the &low pace 
at winch they moved became of the 
greatest service to him afterward. 

It was probably between one and two 
o'clock in the afternoon when they came 
in sight of a long, low wooden building, 
set down in a shallow hollow. 

It looked like a rebel barracks, but be- 
fore it had been many minutes before his 
eyes Harry kaevv its present use was 
that of a prison. 

His opportunity for observation was 
very small, as the lieutenant put spurs to 
the horses as soon a.s the prison came in 
sight, as if anxious to get through his 
duty after lingering so long on the road. 
They rode up to the wooden palisade 
that surrounded the place .and knocked 
on the gate for admittance. In a few 
minutes the gate was opened? and they 
were let into a dirty yard, where here 
and there a few prisoners were seen lying 
about under the eye of a guard, who 
carried a musket in the hollow of his 
arm. 

Gilbert was received by a stout, red- 
nosed man in the uniform of a captain of 
the Confederate States of America, but 
before having any conversation a man 
was ordered to take Harry down and lock 
him up. 

As Harry was disappearing he saw Gil- 
bert pull the letter from his pocket and 
present it to the commander of the rebel 
prison. 

Harry was led through a narrow hall 
to a stair-way leading to the cellar, into 
which he was ordered to proceed. He 
knew resistance was hopeless, and he 
descended the stairs, resolving to make 
an attempt to escape that very night, 
teeiing if it was postponed he might never 
have another opportunity. 

He was locked into a cell placed nearly 
in the center of the cellar, with no light, 
natural or artificial, nothing but four 
bare stone walls, relieved by the single 
door. 

He felt around to see what the room 
contained, but if he expected to find any- 
thing he was disappointed. There was 
not even a shake-down on which to 
stretch himself. 

With an exclamation of disgust lie 
pulled off his jacket, and spreading it on 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



25 



the floor threw himself upon it, and after 
tossing about some time fell into a sound 
Bleep. 

CHAPTER XII. 

ARTHUR'S TRANSFORMATION. 

When it is remembered that Arthur 
had passed the last two nights practically 
without sle^p, it will be supposed that he 
was in poofc condition for the labors of 
the day immediately succeeding the de- 
struction of the guerilla stronghold. 

After escaping so fortunately from the 
house he dared not lay down to sleep 
without placing himself in danger of be- 
ing recaptured by the rebels, who were 
encamped within a stone's-throw of the 
place where he was hidden. 

He could easily have stolen away in the 
darkness and slept in security till day- 
light, but by doing so there was every 
probability that Harry would be disposed 
of in some way before he could return. 

After going carefully over the prob- 
abilities and possibilities of the case, Ar- 
thur decided it was better to risk some- 
thing himself and be sure of Harry's 
whereabouts, than to leave theneighbor- 
hood and probably miss something that 
was of vital consequence for him to know. 
As he had seen nothing of Harry he 
had some doubts as to whether he had 
gotten out of the burning building, but 
the rebels remained perfectly quiet after 
their scare, and he had to wait for posi- 
tive information till morning. 

As the gray light of dawn came slant- 
ing through the trees Arthur looked 
about for a position from which he could 
observe the movements in the camp with- 
out d.-inger of detection. 

That his observations were not inter- 
rupted was due to the fact that the guer- 
illas believed he had perished in the ex- 
plosion. 

It was some time after the sun rose 
when he reached a little hillock, which 
at its tip reached the elevation of one 
hundred feet. It was about an eighth of 
a mile from the camp, which could be 
seen sufficiently plain for Arthur's pur- 
pose. 

Choosing a sheltered spot he began his 
observations. 

Notwithstanding the small opportunity 

given them for sleep that night, most of 

t lie guerillas were astir, nd several fires 

'just started indicated that they were 

about preparing their breakfast. 

Arthur scanned the camp anxiously in 
bores of catching a glimpse of Harry, 
but the distance was too great for him to 
distinguish the features of anybody there. 
The sight of the fires and their evident 
purpose reminded him that he had tasted 



nothing since six o'clock the evening be- 
fore. Fortunately the guerillas had not 
thought it necessary to remove his haver- 
sack, in which there was stored, accord- 
ing to the captain of the Dragon Fly's 
orders, sufficient rations to see him 
through to the end of the expedition. 

"1*11 just eat my breakfast, too," he said 
to himself. "I don't know when I'll have 
more time." 

His long fast made hirn eat heartily, 
though every few minutes he got up 
from the fallen tree on which he sat and 
carefully swept his eye over the camp, in 
order that no move of importance should 
be made there without his knowledge. 

"If Harry had only come along with 
me instead of standing in that cellar to 
let himself be caught, we might be 
aboard the Dragon Fly by this time," he 
said, .as he finished his meal. 

Seating himself as comfortably as pos- 
sible he watched the camp drowsily, oc- 
casionally turning his head iu other di- 
rections as a precaution against surprise. 

The minutes wore slowly by, and at 
nine o'clock he thought it must be nearly 
noon. 

The horses being brought into camp 
about this time by Cobb had the effect 
of making him interested and attentive 
to what followed. 

When a few minutes later Harry, 
whom he recognized by the blue uni- 
form, was lifted upon one of the horses 
and two guerillas mounted the others, 
he began working his way toward the 
camp with as great speed and care as he 
could command. By the time he had 
made fifty feet the horses had started, 
and he immediately stopped to note the 
direction th^y took, which was almost 
at right angles from his. 

" I wonder where they're taking him 
to," he muttered, as he dodged among 
the trees in pursuit. "I'll lose them, sure." 

His prospects were not good for fol- 
lowing on foot the horses of the guerilla 
band, which were said to be the best in 
the country. 

He reached the edge of the woods some 
two miles from the little hillock before 
he again caught sight of the retreating 
trio. There he stopped, at the same time 
noticing the leading guerilla turn his 
horse's head a little to the southwest. 

Arthur considered a few moments be- 
fore making another move. It was mad- 
ness, he thought, to attempt to follow 
them on foot, and there was not a hou-e 
in sight where a hoise might be pro- 
cured. Even if he had a horse he could 
not follow them without bt-ing discov- 
ered. 

He looked again at the horseman. 
They seemed to be moving very slowly ; 



»6 



HARRY A1NTC) ARTIE. 



at any rate they had not much increased 
The distance between him and them since 
he readied the edge of the woods. 

'* If that's" all the faster they go 111 fol- 
low them as 1 am," he continued, and he 
waited till they got SO far ahead that his 
pursuit would not be seen. 

The country was a long, rolling swell, 
and on this account he was able to keep 
of their sight nearly all the time. He 
would wait till they rode into the hol- 
1 »ws and while they were out of sight he 
would move rapidly. When they reached 
the top of the swell Arthur was in the 
trough, so to speak. 

When they passed a farm-house or 
through a little village he was compelled 
to make a detour, which in some cases 
hi in iose considerable time. 

Still the route of the guerillas was so 
direct that he had no difficulty in keep- 
ing on their track. 

It was about noon when he passed by 
a small house around which he had to 
make a circuit, when he saw a youth of 
about his own age working in a field not 
far from a little belt of timber through 
which our hero was passing. 

As Arthur looked at him an idea came 
into his head, and he hastened on, mut- 
tering: 

" Just you stay there about two hours 
longer and you won't be the same look- 
ing fellow y m are now, neither will I." 

He pushed rapidly on, as he was nearly 
a mile behind, and he did not know what 
minute the guerillas might change their 
course. 

Stopping a moment to take a drink at 
a littie brook that ran through the belt, 
he hurried on, unslinging his knapsack as 
he went. 

The great tax on his powers of endur- 
ance made him desperately hungry, and 
it is doubtful, at the rate he ate on this 
day, whether his rations would last the 
required time. 

It was shortly after one o'clock when 
he caught up with the guerillas and their 
prisoner, and he just arrived at the top of 
a, swell in time to see them leave it at the 
gate of the prison. 

He dropped on the grass at once and 
surveyed the place minutely. 

"So that's the place they've got him. 
Whew! what a journey they've led me." 

And assuring himself he could find his 
way back to the place, he turned about 
and started rapidly back in the direction 
from which he came. 

"There's no time to be lost,"' he said 
to himself. " He's got to get out of there 
right away or not all." 

Arthur's anxiety was usually expressed 
in few words, and he was thoroughly 
anxious now. 



He had resolved upon a plan of action 
that would be the means of Harry's es-. 
cape or the placing himself in the same 
condition as Harry was now. 

If his plan failed he did not doubt that 
the rebels would dispose of them at once 
to prevent them making more disturb- 
ance and trouble. 

The four or five miles back to the belt 
of timber were accomplished in a little 
more than an hour, and he was greatly 
delighted upon reaching it to find the 
young rustic still at work in the field 
close by. 

Arthur approached as near to him as 
he could without being discovered, and 
then stopped to consider how best his 
plan could be carried out. 

If he walked boldly from his place of 
concealment the fellow might take fright 
at his uniform, or if not he would have 
time to prepare for fight, and this was 
something in which Arthur did not care 
to take any unnecessary risk. 

At length he concluded to decoy him 
into the trees, where if a serious fight did 
come off it would not be in sight of any 
prying eyes. 

Raising his voice Arthur called out, 
" Hey, there!" 

The young rustic straightened himself 

up and' looked around in every direction. 

In a moment the call was repeated, 

and he turned his gaze to the patch of 

woods. 

" Come over here, pard. I want to talk 
to you," came the voice again. 

" Whar air you? Why don't you show 
yerself?" demanded the youth, guardedly. 
" 1 dassent walk in the hot sun,' was 
Arthur's reply. 

" W'at you want wi' me?" demanded 
the rustic again. 

" Come oyer here an' see. You won't 
be sorry, neither," answerecTArthur. 

Stimulated by curiosity the youth 
dropped his hoe, and came slowly toward 
the trees. 

"Tarnation!" he exclaimed, as Arthur 
suddenly stepped in front of him. "What 
did you come frum?" 

"i want to make a trade with you," 
began Arthur, ignoring the question, and 
proceeding directly 1 o his business. " I'll 
trade you my clothes for yours, even. 
What do you saj ?" 

The young farmer stepped back and 
looked Arthur over from head to foot. 
A light seemed to break upon his under- 
standing as the blue uniform impressed 
itself upon him. 

"Say." he said, looking up suddenly, 
" air you a Yank?" 

"No matter what I am." answered Ar- 
thur, impatiently. "Hurry up. Yes of 
no." 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



2? 



But the rustic drew back. 

" Yes, you air a mean, sneakin' Yank. 
Yip!" and before Arthur could lift his 
arm the young Confederate sprung at 
him and knocked him down. 

With another yell he sprung upon Ar- 
thur to complete his conquest, but was a 
moment too late. 

Arthur had risen upon one knee almost 
the instant he touched the ground, and 
as the young farmer sprung upon him he 
warded off the blow aimed at his head, 
but the violence of it knocked him back 
again, while his antagonist went sprawl- 
ing over his head in Ins eagerness. 

This put them on equal terms, and Ar- 
thur, believing he could end the fight 
quicker on his feet, sprung up. The 
other immediately did the same, but be- 
fore he was fah'ly on his feet one of Ar- 
thur's terrific 1 ight-handers stretched him 
out on the ground, while his conqueror, 
pulling out a revolver, said firmly: 

" Now, get up and turn your head away 
from me, and get out of that coat and 
trousers as quick as you know how." 

The revolver had a most, wholesome 
effect on the spirits of the young Confed- 
erate, and doing as bidden he divested 
himself of his garments in a vary short 
space of time. 

When he turned around according to 
an order he saw that Arthur had also 
taken off his outer garments. 

'"Here," said the latter, "take these 
and put them on, and be quick about it." 

In a few moments the two wero en- 
tirely transformed — Arthur into an evil- 
looking guerilla, and the other into a 
fairly-decent United States marine. 

" Now, back up there against that tree," 
was Arthur's next command, and he pro- 
ceeded to tie his prisoner to it, notwith- 
standing the latter's remonstrance. 

Remembering their mistake of the 
night before, he securely gagged his 
prisoner, and satisfying himself that the 
youth would be in no danger, he made 
ready to leave the place, as it was con- 
siderably after three o'clock. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

HARRY'S RUSE. 

It was about seven o'clock when the 
red nosed officer who had received (.-fil- 
bert and his prisoner that afternoon, 
walked leisurely into the box-like apart- 
ment near the gate, that answered for 
his office, and threw himself into the 
chair before a small desk. 

It was already twilight and the office 
was lighted by a small lantern which 
hung from the ceiling. The officer had 
just returned from placing the sentinels 



about the prison, and he looked long- 
ingly toward a large bottle that stood on 
the desk, as if only awaiting the moment 
when he could enjoy its contents. 

He was about to take a nap in his 
chair when a call at the gate attracted 
his attention. 

"Who's there now?" he muttered. "I 
don't want any more prisoners brought 
here to-night." 

A few minutes later a man entered the 
office. 

"Ah, Henry, how are you?" sain! the 
officer, rising and taking the other's 
hand. " I didn't expect you here. Any- 
thing wrong?" 

"Nothing later than what Gilbert 
brought you this afternoon," repeated 
the other. "I suppose you have the 
prisoner safe?" he asked, abruptly. 

The guerilla leader might have received 
more satisfaction if he had put his ques- 
tion differently. Nothing provoked the 
commander of the prison more than to 
be asked if his prisoners we#e safe. Dur- 
ing the short, existence of the prison no 
prisoner had ever yet escaped" its wads; 
consequently he said, curtly, •'did you 
ever know any to get away after they 
were once here? You needn't disturb 
yourself about him.'' 

" Have you any place to put me over- 
night?" Henry asked, changing the sub- 
ject. 

" I guess I can find you some place if 
you want to stay," replied the other. 

He was thoroughly angry now, for he 
imputed the guerilla captain's motive in 
coining to the prison was to be sure that 
his prisoner was safe. 

"He must think I don't know how to 
take care of his pesky prisoners," mut- 
tered the officer, angrily, as he walked 
out to give the necessary orders. 

He returned in a few minutes with a 
guard who was to stable the captain's 
horse. 

"Our accommodations are not very 
good but you'll have to put up with 
them," he said, as Henry left the office 
with the guard. 

It was hardly five minutes after the 
guerilla captain left the room when an- 
other loud call and knock was heard at 
the gate. 

"Who can that be?" growled the 
officer, starting up and going to the 
door. 

He saw the gate open and one oi the 
guards question the new-comer. 

At length the man approached, and 
touching his cap respectfully, said there 
was a country fellow that wanted to 
speak to him. 

" What does he want?" demanded the 
officer of the prison 



28 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



" He won't tell us but wants to see 
you. 1 ' replied the guard. 

" Well, send him in," said the cora- 
rnandant, going into his office again. 

In the course of a few minutes the 
new comer appeared at the door escorted 
by two of the guards. 

lie wore an old brown suit that looked 
as if it had seen bard service in the fields, 
and his whole appearance was of the 
style that is commonly denoted fcang- 
dog. | 

An old slouch hat pulled low over his 
brow left nothing but the lower part of 
his face visible. 

As far as the captain of the prison 
could judge, he appeared to be about 
twenty years old. 

" Who are you, and what do you want?'' 
asked the officer, sharply. 

The stranger raised his head an instant 
and cast a meaning glance upon the two 
guards, who were still standing, inter- 
ested to know what the newcomer 
wanted in til* prison. 

The officer understood the motion. 
" Leave the room," he commanded. 

'• Now," he continued, turning to the 
stranger, "tell me what you want, for I 
have no time to waste." 

" I want to get attached to this yere 
prison," replied the other. "I'm a handy 
feller to have around an' I thought 
you'd like to have some feller ter black 
yer boots an' things around." 1 

" What was the use of making such a 
secret of a thing like that?" demanded 
the officer, sharply. 

"'Cause I thought you wouldn't want 
the soldiers to think you wasn't payin' 
fer yer things, an' I am willin' to do 'em 
fer nothin'." 

" Bright fellow, you," sneered the com- 
mandant. "Don't you suppose if I 
wanted any such things done 1 could ask 
the men to do it, without one of them 
daring to refuse?'' 

" You better take me, cap 11," persisted 
the other. "They ain't one on "em as 
kin do your errands as good as I kin." 

" I didn't say 1 wouldn't have you," 
interrupted the captain. "You can make 
yourself useful, 1 guess. There — take 
those lour muskets in the corner and 
nut 'em into shape, till I see what you 
can do." 

The stranger mumbled thanks as he 
turned to the muskets. 

When he reached the corner lie pushed 
his slouch hat back for a moment. Any 
one who had ever seen him before would 
have recognized him as our old friend, 
Arthur Linden, though they might well 
doubt his identity upon casting a glance 
Upon his clothing. 

He breathed a deep sigh of relief as he 



pulled his hat down again over his eyes. 
One of the hardest stages of the advent- 
ure in which he was enlisted was to get 
inside the prison, and after it was over 
he was astonished to find how easy it had 
been. He would trust to Providence and 
his own resources to get out with Harry, 
now that he was in. 

He was in a quandary as to the method 
to be used in ascertaining the situation 
of Harry's place of confinement, and be 
thought rapidly while he polished up the 
dingy barrels of the muskets. 

Suddenly a bright thought struck him. 

"Cap'n," he said, without turning or 
raising his head, "I saw a Yank this 
arternoon." 

" Y'ou did?*' asked the commandant, 
looking up from the desk at which he 
was writing. 

" Yes, an' two sogers had him tied on a 
hoss. They passed clost to my pap's 
place." 

"Humph!" said the commandant. 
"That fellow's safe down-stairs, now, 
but what's your name, and who's your 
* pap?' " 

This question threw Arthur into some 
alarm. For all he knew the officer might 
know all the people within miles around, 
and if such was the case he would in- 
stantly detect any false statement as to 
name. 

However, after an instant's hesitation 
he answered: 

"I'm Jake Reid, an' I live 'bout twelve 
miles from here." 

" You must be near Henry's headquar- 
ters, then?" said the captain, laying down 
his pen. 

Arthur would just as willingly not 
heard his name, but t he answered with as 
much indifference as he could: 

" Y'es, Cap Henry ain't fur from us." 

" Why didn't you join him instead of 
coming 'way over here?" asked the officer. 

"'Cause I heerd he Wasn't the man 
you was," replied Arthur, venturing upon 
a little bit of flattery. 

Before the officer could make any reply 
a footstep sounded outside, and presently 
a man stood in the door-way. 

" (iood-night. Adams,'' he said, "T am 
going to bed. I.t.'s a little early, but I 
didn't get much sleep last night." 

"Good-night," growled Adams, as the 
man left the door. 

Arthur, however, dropped his rag as if 
petrified with surprise'. He knew that 
voice to belong to the leader of the guer- 
illas, the man whom he wished to avoid 
of all others. He alone of the inmates of 
the prison might be able to penetrate his 
disguise, and if he did Arthur did not 
like to think of what would follow. 

What brought him here was the next 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



29 



question that presented itself to Arthur. 
He was the horseman, then, that he had 
seen ride up to the gate, only a few min- 
utes before he himself came in, but for 
what he could only conjecture. 

He recovered himself as quickly as pos- 
sible, infinitely glad that Adams had not 
noticed his confusion. 

One thing more he had learned was 
that Harry was down stairs somewhere, 
and he concluded that the principal pris- 
oner were kept in the cellar. 

He was interrupted h&ie by the voice 
of the officer, who said: 

"That wa3 Henry. I suppose you 
know him?" 

" It were?" replied Arthur, striving to 
appear indifferent. "I didn't see 'iin; 
my back was to Jim. I guess that pris- 
'ner was ketched by his fellery," he con- 
tinued, endeavoring to get the officer 
started on the subject of his latest capture. 

"Yes, he was caught over there some- 
where," answered the officer curelessly, 
resuming his writing. 

"I wonder if he's the feller General 

R sent out a special order 'bout? 

The one as ketches him or brings him to 
the general gets a com — m, comm — what 
you call 'em?" 

" "W hat's that you're saying?" and sud- 
denly becoming interested Commandant 
Adams again laid down his pen. 

Arthur repeated his statement, careful 
not to contradict himself. 

"If I thought he was the fellow I'd 
take him to headquarters to-night, yet 
I've sent no report," muttered the officer. 

" I wasn't close this afternoon w'en I 
see this feller, but they was 'most the 
same size, an' mebbe you have 'iin right 
in yer hands.'' 

" What do you know about their size?" 
demanded the commandant. 

"Oh, I seed the feller the general's 
arter a couple o' months ago, over in 
Tennessee, knock down a parcel of our 
sogers as if they wasn't nothin', an' git 
away from em .without any trouble 'tall. 
He's a fast one, I can tell you." 

Arthur spoke indifferently, as if noth- 
ing interested him less than this " Yank," 
that he was talking so glibly about. 

"Can you identify him if you were 
to see him now?" asked the commandant 
in excitement. 

" 1 ought to, 'cause he nearly knocked 
a hole in rny head the time I was tellin' 
you 'bout," answered Arthur. 

" I know now what that robber Henry 
wanted here to-night," muttered the 
commandant angrily to himself. "But 
I'll show him that he can't get ahead of 
me," and reaching up he took the lan- 
tern down from its hook and called upon 
Arthur to follow him 



Putting his hands to his pockets and 
finding his weapons where they could 
immediately be brought to service, he 
rose from his corner and started after the 
commandant, who had already left the 
office. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

THE ESCAPE. 

They crossed the yard quickly, and the 
guards, who seemed quite numerous, paid 
no attention to Arthur as he was accom- 
panying their officer. 

" I'm glad that old guerilla has gone 
to bed," thought Arthur to himself, as 
they entered the hall. "If he'd have 
been around much where I was I 
wouldn't have stood much show for get- 
ting through this business." 

The commandant said nothing till he 
reached the stair-way leading to the 
cellar, then he said: 

"You are sure you know that fellow 
the general is after?'' 

Arthur stoutly asserted that he did, 
mentally calling the officer a fool to take 
his word for authority as to what orders 
the Confederate general had issued. Still 
it was so much the better as it was, or 
neither of our heroes would ever have 
seen his Northern home again. 

The commandant opened several cells 
before he reached the right one, but at 
last he perceived a form lying on the 
floor in the fourth after he "bad opened 
three vacant ones. 

Harry started up as his two visitors 
entered the apartment, looked sharply 
at them for a moment, then sitting down 
he looked sullenly at the floor while the 
commandant let the nght of the lantern 
fall upon him, at the same time turning 
to Arthur with a look of inquiry on his 
face. 

" Set the lantern on the floor an' turn 
his face up so 't I can see," said Arthur, 
in a hoarse, unnatural voice. 

He hoped that it would not be recog- 
nized, for he feared that Hairy might be 
so surprised as to attract the Confed- 
erate's attention. 

Notwithstanding his precaution, Harry 
started slightly, and raising his eyes cast 
a penetrating glance upon the speaker. 

To Arthur's relief the Confederate 
seemed to attribute Harry's agitation to 
the supposition that he wa? about to be 
identified as the noted spy for whose ap- 
prehension the general was so anxious. 

He approached, therefore, and just as 
he put his hand under Harry's c m the 
muzzle of a revolver was thrust against 
his head, and Arthur's voice rung in bis 
ear, " Move a muscle and I'll blow your 
brains out." 



80 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



The commandant, however, disre- 
garded the order. 

Springing back he opened his mouth 
to give a shout; that would have aroused 
the whole post, but Harry had sprung 
up and seized him by the throat in the 
nick of time. 

Arthur in the meantime tore a piece of 
his tattered brown coat off and thrust as 
much of it as he could into the officers 
mouth, as the best and safest means of 
keeping him quiet. 

•'Now, Harry, get something to tie 
him tip with. This is our last chance. 
If we lose we are goners." 

Wnile Arthur was speaking he was 
tearing the Confederate uniform off of 
the officer as fast as he could, and by 
the time Harry had that worthy bound 
it was lying on the floor. 

"(jret"out of that U. S. N. now, Harry, 
and into this thing," he said, speaking 
rapidly and pointingto the pile of clothes 
on the floor. 

It took Harry less than two minutes 
to dress himself out in the rebel's 
uniform and announce himself ready to 
proceed. 

Arthur picked up the lantern, saying: 
" Remember now, you are the command- 
ant and general boss of this establish- 
ment; your name is Adams. Don't say 
a* word unless you must or you will be 
detected. I am your serving-man. Come 
on." 

Arthur led the way upstairs, and when 
he reached the door which opened into 
tln> yard he turned and whispered to 
Harry: '" 1'ou take the lead now, and 
walk along as if you owned the place. 
Make straight for the gate." 

Nearly all the guards had disappeared 
when they stepped into the yard, and 
they reached the gate without molesta- 
tion. 

"Thecap'n says you shall leave the 
gate open fer him. He'll be back soon," 
called Arthur to the nearest guard, as 
they stepped out the gate. 

An exclamation of astonishment burst 
from oneof the men, and Captain Henry's 
votee was heard shouting: '"Follow them, 
men; there's something wrong there." 

'Run! run! Harry, that's Henry, and 
he recognized my voice,'' whispered Ar- 
thur, bounding forward. 

The bustle and commotion increased 
within the prison, and in a few moments 
two horsemen appeared at the gate. 

They were amply provided with weap- 
ons — Arthur with those of the guerilla, 
i. and Harry with I hose of the officer 
of the prison. , 

They started due east, hoping to reach 
the river betore daylight, and work their 
way up to where the Dragon Fly lay. 



They had not proceeded any distance 
before they heard the report of a musket 
and a ball whistle close above their heads. 
The clatter of hoofs sounded close be- 
hind, and if there had been any number 
of pursuers they would undoubtedly have 
been recaptured. 

"We must stop them, Harry," cried 
Arthur, drawing his revolver. "You 
take the right-hand one and I'll take the 
left." 

All four fired almost at the same mo- 
ment, and Dairy felt a sharp pain in his 
arm as he saw the rebel at whom he fired 
throw up his hands and drop from the 
saddle. 

The horse of the other carried him al- 
most up to Arthur, who was nearly run 
down. 

Neither of these had done any damage 
by their shots, and Arthur caught his 
pursuer by the throat, dragging him out 
of the saddle. 

"Now, Johnny Reb, I'll give you five to 
leave," cried Arthur. " One, two, three, 
four, five," and he covered the man with 
his revolver till he had disappeared. 
Then he turned to Harry. 
" Where's the other horse?" he asked 
quickly. 

"He ran off when the rebel dropped off 
of him." replied Harry, speaking as if in 
great pain. 

"What's the matter with you?" de- 
manded Arthur in alarm. 

" I guess that fellow hit me in the arm; 
but never mind, we haven't time to 
bother about it now," a,nswered Harry. 

"Well, jump on behind me, and we'll 
make this horse take us to the river," 
said Arthur, looking back, expecting to 
see u oi;e pursuers. 

He assisted Harry on the horse, and 
theu sprung up himself, saying: 

" As soon as we get to a safe place we'll 
stop, and I'll look at your arm." 

Harry found the riding motion so pain- 
ful that after bearing it about an hour he 
declared he could stand it no longer. 

Arthur at once dismounted, and tying 
the horse to the tree under which they 
stopped, he lit the lantern, which they 
still had with them, and examined the 
wound. 

Fortunately it was inflicted by a small 
ball in the fleshy part of the arm, con- 
sequently no bone was touched, but it. 
was very painful, and there was nothing 
with which to bind it up. 

Arthur hesitated to take the dirty 
cloth which composed his impromptu 
suit, fearing that it would do more harm 
than good. Finally he cut a strip from 
the uniform that Harry wore, and bound 
it as carefully as possible to prevent 
cold settling in it. 



HARRY AND ARTIE. 



31 



Then they remounted, Arthur putting 
the horse on a walk, so as to make the 
pace as easy as possible. 

Their progress in this manner was nec- 
essarily slow, and they put in the time by 
telling each other all that befell them 
during the time they were separated, and 
it was midnight before they halted in a 
little belt of trees within sight of the 
liver. 

After looking carefully over the spot 
and making sure that they were its only 
occupants, Arthur decided that they 
should pass the rest of the night there 
and then start up the river in the morn- 
ing. 

It was their first opportunity for sleep 
for two nights, and Arthur fell asleep 
almost immediately upon lying down, 
but Harry could not, owing to the pain 
in his arm. 






CHAPTER XV. 

BACK TO THE GUN-BOAT. ' 

The sun was just rising when Arthur 
sprung up, feeling very hungry, and he 
only then remembered that they had 
nothing to eat. 

They consoled themselves with the re- 
flection that if all went well it would not 
be long till they were amply supplied, 
and then they began to lay their plans 
for the day's operations. 

Arthur began to be seriously alarmed 
at the state of Harry's arm, which was 
very much swelled and so stiff that he 
could not raise it. 

While they were considering the ques- 
tion as to what was best for them to do, 
Arthur constructed a rude sling and 
placed Harry's arm in it. 

"I tell you what, Harry, I want to get 
you to the surgeon before many more 
hours go by," he said, as he completed his 
work. 

" We're ten miles from the Dragon Fly," 
groaned Harry, "and it'll kill me to go 
that distance." 

But Arthur was firm, and accordingly 
they made preparations to resume the 
journey. 

He had fixed Harry as comfortably as 
possible in the saddle, while he himself 
intended to lead the horse, in the hope 
that by doing thus he would save Harry 
any jolts and give him a more comfort- 
able seat. 

It was about ten o'clock in the morning 
when they reached a bend in the river 
that seemed familiar. 

"The Dragon Fly has often been down 
here," said Arthur, in some excitement. 
"That must be her smoke above there." 

In about ten minutes they saw the little 



vessel in the middle, of the river, about 
half a mile further on. 

In the course of ten minutes more he 
made the signal"by which they were to 
be recognized on board. 

By the commotion which immediately 
followed he knew it had been seen, and 
directly a boat put off and headed to- 
ward them. 

Arthur meanwhile lifted Harry from 
the saddle and helped him down to the 
water's edge just as three rousing cheers 
from the boat's crew greeted them. 

He replied with a will and even Harry 
caught the spirit of the moment and 
chimed in. 

When it was ascertained m the boat that 
Harry was wounded there were anxious 
inquiries, as he was a prime favorite 
with all connected with the Dragon Fly. 
He was helped carefully into the boat, 
where Arthur said he was able to speak 
for himself. 

A few minutes later the captain re- 
ceived them on the Dragon Fly, but see- 
ing Harry was wounded ordered him to 
the surgeon at once. 

Then turning to Arthur, he said: "You 
may report to me in an hour, or just as 
soon as Phillips' arm has received proper 
attention." 

When Harry made his appearance it 
was in a brand-new uniform, and his 
wound, properly dressed, felt vastly bet- 
ter. 

Arthur at once went to prepare for his 
audience with the captain, and our two 
friends looked vei\y different when they 
went to the cabin than when they came 
aboard a little while before. 

As Harry was so much brighter Arthur 
stood back, as he always did, and let his 
friend relate to the captain what had 
occurred and the success of their enter- 
prise. 

"But," said Harry, as he finished, 
"though I originated the plan in the 
first place, it is due to my friend here." 
indicating Arthur, "that it has suc- 
ceeded. If it hadn't been for him I 

would probably now be hanging in a " 

"It's no such a thing, captain," inter- 
rupted Arthur, quickly. "Excuse me 
for speaking as I did, but I might say, 
while we are talking of obligations, that 
if Harry had not been along I also would 
be hanging somewhere, for I was accused 
of being a spy, too." 

" Well, well, never mind.'' said the cap- 
tain, with a smile. "You have both done 
excellent service, and you have my hearty 
thanks for it. I hope soon to be able to 
announce to you," tapping some papers, 
"something of more consequence than 
mere thanks. That is all now." 

THE END. 



THE GEM LIBRARY 

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. . EARLE LYNDON, THE SHADOW ; or, Trailing the King of the Smugglers. By Beau 

T» T* O f* fi. ( I P 

. , THE SILENT AVENGER ; or. The Fate of the Crooked Nine. By M. Y. Hand. 

. . JERRY, THE WEASEL ; or. The Boy Spy's Mission. By Louis Bernard. 

. . COOL NED, THE CYCLONE ; or, The Road Agent's Doom. By Ned Buntling. 

. . HUMAN WOLVES; or, The Boy Ventriloquist. By Major Downing. 

. . THE TWINS' STRUGGLES ; or, On the Road to Fortune. By Lieutenant Atkinson. 

. . THE CREOLE'S TREACHERY; or, Titus the Scout's Faithful Servant. By T. P. 

Johnson. 
. . RICK, THE WAIF ; or, The Young Fisherboy Sleuth-hound. By T. P. James. 
. . BURT, THE HERO ; or. Adventures of a Pluc?ky Boy* By James Franklin Fife. 
. . CAVALRY CURT ; or, The Wizard of the Army. By G. Waldo Browne. 
. . SAM, THE WHARF-RAT ; or. Outwitted by a Boy. By Louis Bernard. 
. . LARKE, THE LAWYER SHADOW ; or, The Haunted Ranch on the Prairie. By Beau 

Brocade. 
. . GIANT PETE, THE TRAILER; or, Saved by a Miracle. By Colonel Zuri. 
. . UNDER TWO FLAGS ; or, His Life for His Honor. A sequel to " Cavalry Curt." By 

G. Waldo Browne. 
. . MOLL, THE TIGRESS ; or, Foiled by a Boy Detective. By Major A. F. Grant. 
. . TED, THE BANTAM DETECTIVE ; or, Downing the Sharpers. By George B. Lee. 
. . DICK. THE BOY ENGINEER; or, On the Right Track. By W. A. Hick.-on. 
. . THROUGH THE EARTH ; or, Mystery of an Unknown World. By Carl C. Buffum. 
. . ROSS, THE MIDDY ; or, The Secret of the Cliff. By Mark Frobisher. 
. . STEEL GRIP, THE INVINCIBLE ; or, Two of the Finest. By Ned Buntling. 
. . DICK DANFORTH, the Loyal Scout of Tennessee. By Major A. F. Grant. 
. . MISSOURI BILL'S TRUST; or, The Youn ? Reporter of 'Frisco. By T. P. James. 
. . CAPTAIN JACK, THE UNION SPY ; or, la Vicksburg and Out. By Harold T. Gray. 
.. SHARP HART IN ST. LOUIS; or, Playing for Big Stakes. By Major Waltei 

Downing. 
. . GEN DIXON'S BOY AIDE ; or, Ned Trinker in the Army. By Lieut. W. Atkinson. 
. . MARK LEMON, THE YOUNG ENGINEER ;' or. True Yankee Grit. By T. P. James. 
. . UARRAGUT'S SCOUT RINGLETS ; or, The Brand of the Mississippi. By Cal De 

Castro. 
. . HARVEY DAYRE, THE SPY ; or, Tracked for His Life. By Major A. F. Grant. 
. . AT BAY IN A CAVERN; or, After Big Game. By Lieut. W. H. Atkinson. 
. . BRUCE HARDY ON DECK ; or, A Hero for Uncle Sam. By Morris Redwing. 
. LIEUT. GEORGE TRELLEN; or, A Tricky Union Boy. By George B. Wilson. 
.. THE GUNBOAT BOYS; or, Harry and Artie Among the Guerrillas. By Arthur 

Rankin. 
. CRAFTY JACK HARPER ; or. A Scout That Is a Scout. By T. P. James. 
. SLIPPERY MILT, THE SCOUT ; or, Running the Gauntlet of Island No. 10. By Lieut. 

Henry Downs. 
WALTER COLLIER'S PLUCK ; or, Down the Mississippi in a Yacht. By W. II. 

Atkinson. 

"We will send, postage paid, any of the above books on receipt of 5 cents 
each. The complete set— 35 titles in all— will be sent, postage paid, for GO cents. 
Do not neglect this chance to get thirty-five splendid stories for such a small sum. 
KARTZ & GRAY, Box 407, New York, IV.Y. 



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